Beyond Words

Within the huge Roma Integration bill that will likely be passed during this coming plenary session, a small clause will fund teachers' ability to work with millions of Roma children all across Europe. Someone of very little importance was directly responsible for this the inclusion of this clause. Who was this unsung political  hero you might ask....it was this guy. Wait no, it was THIS GUY.

I have gotten to spend a great deal more time with MEP Goncz over the past couple of weeks than I have during the entire semester combined, and that is saying a lot. During our walks to and from various  meetings we would quickly discuss her policy stances on Roma integration issues, surveillance and data protection and more generally how she approaches the legislative process. We also talked about the importance of language and wording in laws as many member states will try to find verbal loop holes to get around implementing laws that they do not support. 

The system by which the laws are written and voted on in parliament is as follows: an MEP decides they want to create a bill, they write anywhere from 1 to 100 or more clauses regarding the nature of the law. In a law pertaining to border security for instance a clause may say: "all member states regardless of  status as a European border state should have to pay equal taxes for border security." That bill is then sent to all of the parties, The Greens, The Christian Democrats, The Social Democrats etc; each member who is interested in the bill edits it and send its it to a party "raporter" who synthesizes the suggestions of her party into a new bill. Then all of those synthesized party bills get sent back to the original parliamentarian's office who consolidates all of the various parties' suggestions into one bill. Then all of the raporters from each concerned party meet for what is called a shadows meeting where the various MEPs and their assistants debate the language of the bill to the degree of "The bill says 'Roma children are challenged' and I really feel its important that we say 'experience challenges.'"  Many of these semantic arguments are started and unfortunately, about one fourth of the time the solution is to throw out the clause entirely if a consensus on verbiage cannot be reached. 

The shadow rapporteurs of the crucially important Roma Integration bill had reached this sort of semantic impasse on Monday in regards to a pivotal clause of the bill, one introduced by Kinga, which allowed for additional funding and support to be extended to schools with heavy Roma populations. The MEPs and their assistants could not agree on how to say that the teachers needed additional funding and training without belittling the teachers, or casting the Romani children as inferior to their peers. I had decided to accompany Ballazs and Kinga to the meeting just to watch them in action and follow through with a bill I have watched progress throughout the semester. As this debate on how the clause should be arranged raged on for ten minutes, I started scribbling out ideas on the margin of my copy of the bill until Kinga finally glanced over and without warning said. "Everyone stop" since she is usually the highest ranking MEP in the room...everyone stopped and she said, "having looked around the room, I see only one native English speaker, our American intern. Austin, how would you suggest we word the clause." In a theatrical style worth of a twilight film, all the eyes in the room lifted from their Iphones, and looked right at me. 

First I froze, then I asked the Spanish MEP who had spoken last what her suggestion was, then with no filter said "that won't do." Holy snap...did I just tell an MEP her idea "wouldn't do?" Okay, salvage time, look at your paper, and read your idea. I looked down, read my paragraph and waited for a very long second. All the people stopped, look at each other and then the Spanish MEP said well that's perfect, motion to approve.

I understand here in this very last week why all of these people continue their work despite the mind numbing bureaucracy involved, not to mention the ridicule the European Parliament  receives on a regular basis. The feeling I had when they adopted that clause was that in some small way I had made a difference in lives of these kids. Maybe the law will only have sixty percent of the desired effectiveness, maybe some administrators will miss-use the funds; but maybe a couple of kids in a classroom in Hungary will get the chance they need to expand their minds and benefit from an education. Granted that is an idealistic idea, but its one that I do believe in.

Without the EP Germany or Belgium might introduce Roma inclusion acts to help this severely under-served population, Hungary and Romania however would likely not. That to me is the ideal role of the EP, to serve and protect the minorities of Europe and prevent groups of people from being disenfranchised, discriminated against or endangered. It is a massive but crucial role to play. I truly hope that with the coming elections the populist tide which has risen all over Europe will not sweep away the good that has been done by the EP thus far.

Whose Driving This Thing?

Who's Driving This Thing?

Recently, the US government shut down. Here in Europe and especially in the European Parliament we American interns had to hear tired joke after tired joke about how backward the US is and how we cant get anything done. “Do you think they stopped the wire tapping for the duration of the shutdown?” or some variation of that jab was quite popular; my response (skip to second 30) was generally “why don't you email someone in Yemen and find out.”  But all in all, we were in embarrassed, at least I was. Here we are supposedly the most powerful country in the world and some bad ass from the great state of South Carolina has to mow the grass around the Lincoln Memorial. It was especially bitter that such a small part of the government cough tea-party morons cough were able to shut down the entire institution. Thankfully however our government got its act together, and next time they decide to take a paid vacation, I will be safely back in the land of the Free and the Ignorant and no one will be heckling me over it. Since the shut down occurred though I have come to a realization...

Our government shut down because people were trying to make a point...granted they did a awful job of it, but politicians were sticking to their guns, looking over legislature and sending bills back and forth. Yes, our government shut down...but I would argue the EP does not have to worry about shutting down because they hardly ever get fired up.

There is a level of apathy that is shining from every Ipad, laptop and smart phone opened to Facebook in the committee meetings of parliament. Which leads me to ask “who is driving this thing?”

A real workday in the life of this intern:

I get into work, while waiting in the security line, I'm logging into that sweet nectar of the Gods', parliament's wireless internet. There is quick check of any Imessages that may not have come in over night and then the phone is wrenched from my longing hands and sent through the metal detector.

Then the elevator ride, me eight other well dressed parliamentary employees spend grueling 4 minutes trying to remember what human interaction is like when you don't have wifi to stare at your phone...curse these rising and falling internet-squelching hell boxes. After some awkward staring into corners of the elevators we disembark.

On to the office, greet my lovely co-workers, perhaps see a funny youtube clip someone was sent over the weekend? Take off coat, set up laptop...log into wifi.

Spend the first hour or so looking over emails and Pi Kappa Phi forum posts. “You're slack,” you're thinking “you don't appreciate this opportunity” you say; well you would be wrong, generally I am sending funny things via Facebook to Rita and Ballasz while they also look through emails.

Then work begins, maybe some research on Roma people or watching and NSA hearing, jokes aside, that is the interesting stuff. Next I usually prepare something for Mrs. Goncz to read at committee meeting. But then I go to a different committee meeting to take notes where everyone is....

ON FACEBOOK.

This particular meeting is on The Media Crisis and guess who the majority of people who care enough to attend are? The Media. But there's hope! We have a wopping two MEP's present for this conference on how the EP can help the Media survive the crisis! The "crisis" it turns out, is just that people like reading off tablets now...unfortunate, maybe a crisis, or maybe that name is a stretch. In this three hour meeting as people are looking up from their tablets occasionally to listen, one speaker began an impassioned plea for support from the EP. Just as the crescendo was building, people were taking note, policy was ready to change! An Iphone goes off, who's Iphone? One of the two MEP's flanking the speaker, and he took the call...right there.

And I know I'm not the only intern in parliament checking my Facebook. Between 9 and 17 are the most active hours on the Brussels 2013 Facebook group; we are all doing it.

So yes Europe, our government did shut down. And I'm sure there are as many DC minions glued to their devices and social media in Congressional Hearings as there are in the EP...but before you point the finger of judgment at US, consider that perhaps our Government shut down because more contentious then issues cucumber curvature are being debated.

Why There's Hope

Why There's Hope

I have lost faith in humans ability to govern, but I have not lost faith in humanity.

Our guest professor Dr. Hayes told us great deal about the US drone program, and its not a good situation. The US is not only killing obvious supporters of terror in the middle east such as Anwar Al Awlaki ) but also his family, all of whom are US citizens. The government is censoring her work and that of other professors who are working to study and expose the atrocities occurring at the hands of the government. My own time in the European Parliament has informed me of the measures the US government has taken to stifle reporting being done on the increased level of international surveillance performed by the NSA.

In the face of insurmountable odds AJ, who is always ready to save the world through a creative solution, asked Dr. Hayes “so...what do we do?” This is a question that, coming from a Furman student, has real implications. We are student body who would be willing to charge an unjust situation head on and work for a solution. But on this night, there was no petition to sign and no senator to write as many of these directives are passed by the FISCA court. Dr. Hayes had a different piece of advice however: stop buying Hershey's chocolate.

According to Dr. Hayes this simple act is a form of economic protest against a cooperation which is exploiting child labor in Africa. Considering the relative futility of our votes to change policy in a meaningful way, small acts of goodness are the only weapons we have to combat huge multinationals. I for one believe that these small acts are enough.

While the European Parliament seems inefficient, and everyone is on Facebook 24/7, it is an institution made up largely of good people. As a government they are not able to stop the oppression of children in Africa, but on an individual basis my interactions with my colleagues have been overwhelmingly positive.

My office mates are a perfect example of why I have faith in humanity. Kinga Goncz is a good person, she refuses to officially side with a party in Parliament because she wants to reserve her right to vote as she wishes regardless of what the S&D group opinion is. Her votes are always cast in favor of supporting Roma, protecting minority groups and education for all European people. Her assistants each have causes they are deeply passionate about and are upset when votes do not go as planned because they are concerned with the people who might be affected. Rita and her husband, who both work at the EP and are from the same small Hungarian village, pool their valuable euros to provide programs for children in their home town. 

Outside of the EP, everywhere, I have visited in Europe I have met people who are practicing small acts of kindness like giving up a seat on the bus to elderly people or helping a pregnant mother pull a heavy suit case off the baggage carousel. These instances may seem trivial, this post may seem romanticized, but what else can we do? If our governments are not able to help us in meaningful ways, it is up to us as individuals across borders to support one another and help to alleviate suffering.

When people study abroad, travel or simply read about the culture of other people, we will stop seeing the differences between peoples and start seeing the similarities. We are living in an age where there is more intercultural exchange then ever before and that gives me a great deal of hope for the future.

This trip has also shown me that if more people practiced mindfulness and meditation, so many of our issues could be mitigated. If people become less attached to their money, their possessions and their power, they will become less fearful that they will lose these things. With less fear comes less greed with less greed comes less corruption and war.

“Well that sounds nice...but who is meditating outside of India anyway? What makes you think that its catching on?” Fair questions. I have decided that if I ever need to meet someone who is important to my life, all I need to do is travel by air. I have been seated "randomly" next to: a med student who wants to research how brain structure affects perception, a couple who teach meditation in Brussels and a young entrepreneur who is investing in a start up that is producing “mindfulness inspired apparel.”

But I did not have to frequent Brussels International to find people employing introspection to serve their fellow man more fully. My first day in the office I was greeted with “so you're the yoga teacher!” by Mrs. Goncz. As it turns out, everyone in my office practices yoga and it has been hugely beneficial to the office dynamic over the past few years.

Governments are corrupt, but that has been the case apparently throughout history. I believe however that people's capacity for good eventually out-weighs those who lead us towards lives based in fear.

The Take Away

The Take Away

As I near the end of four months spent in Europe, and working for the European parliament, I have become a “Euroskeptic.” And it gets a little worse than that...I have become a “governments can exist in forms which fully serve the people-skeptic.”

A large part of the IDS course we have been taking on this trip has looked at the circumstances and rhetoric that allowed for atrocities and dictatorships to take place in the twentieth century. During blights on a human history, we come to find, people or “the public” is often complacent or worse, active in propagating the suffering of their fellow man. During the early 1930s German people were quickly convinced that Jews and Gypsies and homosexuals were the cause of their defeat in WWI and were directly responsible for the economic crisis in the country. We as a class stood in the Riechstag which Hitler likely had burned to create a culture of fear towards the communist party. We walked the very halls that thousands of Jews were crammed through at a forced labor camp. We stood where they stood as their noses were broken against the walls of Breendonk Prison. What was the cause of all of this destruction? Not rhetorically how was it accomplished, but what was the impetus? I believe it was fear.

Fear of losing power hard won by soviet communists from the Tsar during WWI led to a similar culture across the USSR. Fear was used by the government to make some East German citizens believe it truly was their duty to their community to turn in their neighbors to the Stasi for crimes which were never committed. Further, fear was used to demoralize anyone who did not buy into the Stasi propaganda.

The USSR leads me to my further disturbing realization as a history major: Governments have been doing this for a very very long time. The Bolshevik revolution took power from the Tzar who had been oppressing his people by squeezing labor and resources out of them for his own gain, and to protect the country during a time of war. The Tzar feared loosing and empire and was willing to kill his own people to do so. This was the same mentality that gave birth to the gulags, the concentration camps and Guantanamo Bay.

I had the fortune, or misfortune depending on how paranoid I will be by the time I return to the states, to have Giorgio Agamben as a presentation topic earlier this semester. Agamben is an Italian philosopher feels that the US government has instituted what he describes as, “a state of exception.” A state of exception arises when a government is able to convince its people that the times are so different and so much more dangerous than we have seen before, that the rules and norms which formally governed how we operate as a nation, are temporarily void. Our guest lecturer, Dr. Hayes, made an incredibly revealing point about our current state of exception. We are not awaiting a "final solution" to culminate as the German's were, nor are we operating in a state of war against another state which will conclude with a peace treaty and armistice. We are in a  “war on terror” which means our government gets to hold us in a post-911 state of heightened security and surveillance for as long as the US government feels there threats to our security.

That night in class, Jordan Sanders said "honestly, I don't care if they tracking me, I'm not a terrorist." Somewhere in the world that night an NSA analyst got his wings... But Jordan is right, until you look at who the terrorist have been, and who they are now. We as American citizens according to the Constitution are obligated to armed insurrection if we feel our government is not serving “we the people,” that's why NRA lobbyist let us keep our shotguns. But when has the US government allowed a group of people to operate in a state of revolution in this country? Not the whiskey rebellion or the civil rights movement or the civil war.

Now its different, those are historical instances and we know looking back that “in the context those governmental actions and decisions made sense.” “We don't do that sort of thing now...we fight terrorists.”

As an Asian Studies major, a question that comes up a lot is, who are the terrorists? Edward Said would say, they are anyone who is not “us,” they are anyone who we can fear. The US government now fears anyone with ties to the Arab speaking countries of the world. Dr. Hayes spoke of being held in interrogation at various airports because she has visited Arabic speaking countries and done research in conflict zones; and she herself speaks Arabic. Okay, perhaps she is foolish for choosing study the people America does not like. Where it gets more sinister is...what happens when the US changes who it doesn't like, and provides a new people for us fear. Say the other most powerful country in the world, China.

If we decide China is the bad guy who will be getting stopped in airports? Probably the graduate student who speaks Chinese, has spent time in China, and wont quit writing blogs about how the American government has become a dictatorship. A dictatorship which like so many before it, is built on fear.

But, THERE'S HOPE.

I'll Post, They'll Read

As I move into my final weeks in Brussels I am realizing each work day how much I am learning about the US government and its activities abroad. The shocking thing about this “insider knowledge” is that it is all publicly accessible, but like so many things in government, is amongst mounds of boring and useless information. I am speaking specifically here about the role of the National Security Agency spying on European Citizens and governments.

On my first day in the office, Kinga called me in and explained a few things about what working for her would entail, they were as follows: they were not going to speak English unless speaking to me for efficiency purposes, I was not to relate any private affairs of the office to anyone, that she was greatly displeased with the decision of the NSA to spy on Europe and finally, that it would be my task to keep the office up to date on the nature of the revelations coming from Snowden and other whistle blowers. I was to do this through attending the regular meetings of the LIBE committee.

Kinga is the vice chair of a parliamentary comity called LIBE. LIBE is essentially the “homeland” department and covers everything from food regulation to defense and migration. This committee has also been holding a series of bi monthly meetings regarding the nature and extent of the USA's espionage activities in Europe and what the implications are for US-EU relations. A large part of my job is to attend these three hour meetings and “take minutes” or summarize the major points in a way that is easy for Mrs. Goncz to look over.

A brief note on practicality; it is not easy take to take notes in parliament for three hours straight and manage to catch every parliamentarian's name between the switching of translators and accents. It is an exercise in Tower-of-Babel building.

The fact that I am the one taking notes and that often, truly for good reason, Mrs. Goncz is not in attendance is a frightening thought; frightening because the information I am writing down needs to be heard by everyone, especially those who have some power to stop it. I'm further distressed that looking around the room, I have yet to see another Furman student sitting in on these hearings; having to watch these hearings has been one of the most influential parts of my internship.

The most thoroughly disturbing meeting which I have attended thus far was a whistle blowers conference. The first hour was testimonies by Edward Snowden's lawyer, an organization which pays people like that lawyer and other facilitators of whistle blowing activities. These first individuals were honestly somewhat boring and I'm sure most listeners tuned out. But the second and third hour were testimonies by a former NSA agent, a former NSA senior staff member and a former MI6 agent. Every single person in that auditorium was riveted by what they said. They first detailed their knowledge of what the US government and British government are compiling in terms of data. What they collect is called “meta-data” which raw information, examples being: who you called/emailed/texted across all common communication sites and services, where the sender and recipient were geographically, the time of the communication took place. That may seem like trivial information, but when you realize that using everything single call being made around the globe being tracked, you could find out a great deal of information about the intended nature of that communication. The obvious next question is: how would you live-monitor all those sources, the answer is you cant. What you can do however, as explained by a former chief analyst with the NSA is store it. By storing this information on every one you allow yourself enough circumstantial evidence to incriminate most Americans who have had contact with persons outside The States through two means. Firstly it must be understood that with this data they can say “you emailed a big time business person in Dubai who has contact with a rebel leader in Yemen,” your contact may be unrelated to the Yemenis person, but your call to Dubai can be reason enough for all of your communications to be monitored legally under.....drum roll...ficsa court rulings and by default The Patriot Act.

The Patriot Act which passed shortly after September 11, 2001 changed the definition of an enemy of the state from a person of a certain origin, or a person practicing espionage to simply "terrorists." Laws that are on the books to prevent spying are being used to arrest whistle blowers under the presumption that the revelations like those of whistle blowers aid terrorists.

A I'm watching these people testify my thoughts exactly are “this cant be real, I listen to the news all the time and I have not heard a thing about this;” the answer as to why we are in the dark emerged quickly. According to the former MI6 agent, the primary people being threatened with incarceration under the Patriot Act at this point are not whistle blowers, not terrorists, but journalists. More journalists have been censured under the Obama administration than any other presidential administrations to date.

I still have five weeks in this internship, so there may be more revelations in the coming hearings and I will be interested to hear what is being said. But the most worrying thing about all of this information, is that any person can access it online for free. The government simply relies on our disinterest  in taking the time to hold them accountable, thus they feel they can do anything and take any of our civil liberties and we wont react as long as we feel safe and our lives are convenient.

There is a lot more information where this has come from, the links are provided in this blog...will you go and watch them? Is it your civic duty? Your personal responsibility as a citizen who wants to be free? That is decision yours to make.

Personal Buddha

I love living and working in Europe, but it has taught me a valuable life lesson: you don't realize what you take for granted until it is gone “hiinnhh hennhh.”

I miss Zita Lasko. Zita, as my hoards of eager readers will likely remember, worked in my office from day one until last week as an intern. She was attractive, capable, funny...and she wasn't Joephia.

Zsophie, or Joephia as I have taken to calling her in my spare time, “henhh hehhh” has a unique trait. That trait is her unusual laugh. That laugh has been replicated throughout this post at intervals which are consistent with Joephia's pattern of speech. A second note of specificity, Joephia also...speaks very..emmm....slowly. And now you should be thinking “Austin, you ass, of course shes speaks slowly in English. You cant speak Hungarian, HAVE A HEART MAN!” I would urge you to stem your judgment because the first thing Balazs asked me when she left the office was “so... does she speak as slowly in English as she does in Hungarian?”

Example text: Normal text is Joephia's words. Italics is my inner monolog.

“So Austeeen.. I have for you the summary which I am needing to be read over hennhh hennh...I dont know if its any good. Don't worry Joeph-meister, it cant be worse than what I am expecting. Kati has told me of the fact that Kinga will be going to Georgia, not like the US state hennhh hehhehhnn hennnhh. A new pattern is emerging! That laugh was in reference to a joke, granted one she made herself, but it is still better than her laughing at jack as per usual.

I have not, contrary to how it may appear thus far, devoted an entire blog post to ripping on my co-intern. The reason why Zsophie stands out in our office, is because she stands out amongst all of the staff in parliament..accept Janet in David Casa's office, she's also rough around the edges. Every guest we have in parliament as well as my supervisors and the other Furman students I have spoken with all remark on how attractive the people who work in parliament are. I have never been around so many put together, sharply dressed, tall and thin people in any working environment. It begs the question...how many qualified people do not get jobs in parliament in favor of Stepford assistants.  Often at parliament I feel like I am surrounded by the plastics. 

The concern with keeping up appearances seems hinder the European Parliament across multiple fronts. Each month the EP moves the entirety of its staff and parliamentarians to Strasbourg for what is in reality a three day working week. What is the consensus on why this commute seems necessary? Because its been done this way for a long time. Originally the idea was the to have the seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg would symbolize an end to the conflict between two major European powers, France and Germany.  Alsace, the region in which Strasbourg is located, has been fought over for hundreds of years between these two nations. As such, it would be a nice gesture to have an office building...or a bank...or plaque or something that says "hey lets put this conflict behind us." But as concerned as ever with keeping up appearances, the Europeans voted to build THIS. For 470 million Euros. Some MEPs argue that the whole operation of going back and forth from Brussels to Strasbourg should be scrapped, due the 200 million euros it takes to transport everyone each year. So far however, this idea has been shut down...it just wouldn't look right if the European Parliament bailed out now. 

Back to the real point of this post: my personal saga of finding patience with my new office mate. As an Asian Studies major particularly interested in Eastern Religious Philosophy, I have come up with yet another name for Zsophia, “my personal Buddha.” The Buddha taught that all of life is suffering, and that true bliss only occurs when you become expressly aware of that fact. When Szophia and I are in the office together, I suffer and I am aware of that suffering. I suffer in the way that a teenage girl does when her phone is dead, or lawyers do when the leather in their new Mercedes is still too stiff. Not to mention there are real problems in the world, like a government that thinks it is logical to spend hundreds of millions of Euros a year to go to a building that cannot support itself. So I will suck it up, and learn from my personal Budha, that there are not many things in life worth upsetting oneself over, and Zsophia's laugh is one of them...HENHHNHhh HEEHH!

The Plight of Hungary

My last blog post entitled Missing the Boat was written the night after I returned to Brussels. Monday morning, back in the office, I witnessed my office in crisis mode. On every major media source in Hungary, Kinga was being called a traitor to the nation.

I alluded in my previous post to the turbulent political situation in Hungary; that situation defined our week in the office. In order to understand the political atmosphere in Hungary a brief informal history lesson is required.

A brief history lesson

After the iron curtain fell, the first democratically elected president of Hungary was a political prisoner of the soviets, a JRR Tolkien scholar, a socialist and Kinga's father. His bipartisan government was wildly popular and is favorably remembered to this day. Unfortunately for the socialists however, the economic prosperity which was presumptively assumed with the introduction of capitalism did not manifest. The Hungarian people elected a more conservative government which began to redirect all funds away from Budapest into the country side, not a wise move if the wealthy voting public all live in Budapest. The conservatives were replaced by a socialist group in 2002. Kinga served as secretary of state under this socialist government in 2006. This government was in power during the lead up to the financial crisis which began two years after the socialists were elected for a second term. In September 2006 Prime Minster Ferenc Gyurscany stood before the parliament and said “last term we failed the people, we were corrupt and inefficient and we lied to the people of Hungary. This time we will rectify our mistakes!” The conservatives got a video of this speech , removed the section where he said “this time we will rectify our mistakes” and released it to the public. People were outraged and there were violent protests in the streets.

With the next election the Fidez conservative party experienced a land slide victory together with their ultra conservative partners, the Jobik party...a land slide of 3/4s majority. With this majority they had the constitutional authority to rewrite the constitution , which they have done...three separate times in five years. Thus endith the Brief Historical Lesson.

In response to the threats to democracy facing Hungary, Mrs Goncz and two other socialist Hungarian MEPs drafted an parliamentary opinion stating that the state of affairs within Hungary was so dire that EU sanctions should be put into action to force Hungary to fall into line. In their report they focused on three separate policies the conservatives had enacted. The first was that the Hungarian supreme court had been under the jurisdiction of the national government. They also appointed five new judges to the bench, and you can guess the political leanings of these new judges. Secondly they introduced a citizenship policy which allows for anyone of Hungarian decent, living in “Big Hungary,” the territories formally held by the Hungarian empire, to vote in Hungarian elections. Without paying taxes...or living in the areas effected by the election...they get to decide who the political leaders are. If you are living abroad and still care to vote in your ethnic homeland's elections, how do you think you would vote? You would vote nationalist , which in Hungary equates conservative. Third and finally, the government extended the post for the person in charge of the media from five years to nine. If by some miracle the ruling party were to fall out of power, the appointed media official would be able to paint the work of the socialists in a negative light for four years.

The Socialist MEPs decision to criticize the above listed activities prompted the Hungarian media, which toes the party line, to describe Mrs. Goncz and her colleagues as traitors of the state and to publicly demand that every member of the Socialist Hungarian delegation be replaced in the upcoming election. While this does not effect Mrs. Goncz in terms of he next election (she isnt running) it is personally embarrassing and painful for her family considering they are all active politically.

My experience this week in the office of having to research all of this information regarding the state of Hungarian politics, which as I indicated previously I had come to believe was somewhat stable, has been hugely beneficial to my understanding of our course. We have been examining the rise of Nazism and the Stazi infrastructure across both our readings and our travels as a class, but witnessing the early signs of a similar style of government come in to power in Hungary has been terribly alarming and informative. Alarming in large part because I realize that much like the Nazi party, the Hungarians have democratically elected their government which is ultra-nationalist, antisemitic and unconcerned with their image abroad.

Missing The Boat

 When I “missed the boat” on the attending the trip to Cinqua Terra Italy, and the chance to stay on a schooner with some members of our trip, I felt like there was no way I would find a vacation as enticing. Thankfully my office mates and I are close enough that my supervisor, Balazs, said I could join him on a trip to Budapest for the same week that our group was going abroad. While I was really excited to get to go somewhere, initially I thought Budapest might be rough place to visit: In terms of expectations and realities, my trip to Budapest in many many ways parallels my experience as an intern for a Hungarian parliamentarian.

Firstly if someone told you were going to work for a Hungarian MEP what would your response be? My response began with...so like Hungary isn't communist..? Yes, that does make me sound ignorant, and I was ignorant of Hungary's place in Europe until I started my internship. By the end of September, a month into my internship, my feelings had made a complete 180. I had been “educated” by Rita, Kati and Ballazs about all of the wonderful traditions of Hungary.

Hungary isn't backward! All of its inhabitants are cosmopolitan intellectuals! The world should be more like Hungary!!

We wonder how populations buy into propaganda when reality is so blatantly staring one in the face, but working for my office is a good example of what can happen if you only have one source of information regarding another place and people. I think that Balazs, Rita and Kati, the three assistants in my office, really wanted me to dispel my previously held notions about what kind of place Hungary is...in the process of doing so however, they painted Hungary as nation with few issues, and that is certainly far from the case.

Hungarians have a reputation amongst European's as being cynical worriers, the downers at the party that is Europe. This was a perception I gleaned from people in the cafeteria line or elevator at parliament. The conversation would normally go something like “who are you working for?” “Hungary.” “Oh... is that depressing?” And I had no idea where this sentiment was coming from because the Hungarians I was around seemed to be pretty upbeat. I asked Balazs about these kinds of interactions and he explained it had to do with a concept called “Big Hungary.” Apparently the Hungarian picture my supervisors had been painting for me was not of the current situation, but of Big Hungary...which has not existed for 100 years.

Before World War One Hungary was as large as modern day France and easily as influential. In the 1890s they were experiencing a golden age or what they refer to as the Hungarian Happy Times of Peace. Unfortunately for the Hungarians, they had linked with the Hapsburg family in the lead up to World War One which, from a victory point of view, put them on the wrong side of the conflict. In the treaty of Versailles, they lost two thirds of their land mass to nationalist groups. We talked in the office about this and it was as if my office mates had personally lost their homes in the last decade. I could not understand why the sentiment of loss and defeat was so strong...until I arrived in Budapest.

I landed in Budapest in the evening and I was not able to see much of the city. However once Balazs and I went out to get dinner, I was floored by the beauty of the city. Over the course of my young life, and especially on this trip, I have been lucky to see some incredible architecture in Paris, London, Oxford and Florence; none of these cities compares to Budapest. Grandeur is the most applicable word to describe it, the colossal parliament building and St. Steven's basilica rise up from once bank of the Danube to parallel the equally massive and ornate citadel and palace. This view was taken in from one of the three twentieth century stone bridges spanning the river at one its largest points in Europe. Standing on that bridge my understanding or Hungary and more specifically of my office began to make more sense.

I saw why my office sought to speak of Hungary in terms of its former greatness. The area where I was staying was a newly gentrified area that had been a Roma slum. Remnants of this slum were still on the periphery of our neighborhood so I went to see it. Run down buildings that looked like they had never been repaired after WWII along one side of the street faced soviet style apartment buildings on the other.

Life in Hungary since WWI has been characterized by loss and occupation. Having seen Budapest it is logical that when my office talks about the country they refer to the The New York Cafe, the Turkish Baths and the first underground line 1 rather than the current political and socioeconomic situation in Hungary. Cliff hanger intended (......!)

Babel Building The European Union

Every hour or so while researching participants for my MEP’s upcoming conference Kati, one of my supervisors, would call me in for a clarification on what information I should be looking for. Around 3pm I heard “Austeen..Come here!”, my customary summons. In all seriousness Kati looked at me and asked “In English, you say ‘I don’t give a shit’ when you don’t care, so if you do care about something someone says, can you tell them ‘I give you a shit?’” Fighting back the urge to double over laughing, I explained generally the nature of the phrase “I don’t give a shit” and that it should be used only in extremis as it primarily deals with excrement. These are the kinds of interactions Yasmine is missing out on in a Spanish speaking office. Propper "I dont give a shit" usage.

            The impact of phraseology and certain cultural differences, i.e. Kati’s question, have been educational to witness and at times comical. That the EU exists and functions at all amongst all of the clashing cultural norms and linguistic hurdles is a testament to the ability for people to overcome differences for common goals. But this also points to a problem that is evident within the European Union. The amount of bureaucracy it takes to get every country on the same page linguistically, not to mention ideologically is staggering, verging on unfathomable. As interns, we are forbidden from disclosing the specifics of what our MEP’s are working on but I attended a meeting today regarding some specifics of an upcoming budget. The meeting was attended by assistants representing the parliament, the council (executive branch,) and the member states. It was similar to watching the popular kids try to play with the nerds and the uncool kids on the play ground. The parliamentary assistants had all of their information ready, points to be made and argued and approached the debate in a factual way; the member states group opened with a strong “we havnt discussed the proposal, further we lack the authority to discuss it….”  Finally the executive representatives who were generally dressed more "fashion forward" casually finished listening to the arguments, leaned back in their chairs, chuckled at the inability of parliament to pass legislation and proceeded to make completely unacceptable demands.

            Not only was the difference of style, tactic and opinion obvious in the room, the language barrier also seemed to befuddle some. This is not to say the assistants present did not speak and understand English at a very high level, but it was clear that I was the only native English speaker in the room.  That said, even I was sometimes having trouble discerning what was being said. I can’t imagine trying to understand a second language being spoken with the accents that were in the room. But hey, even the Chinese struggle with translation .  

            There are so many layers of barriers and walls that must be overcome within this institution if it is to be beneficial rather than merely functional.  When the working parties of the EU are not divided by home country or language, they are divided by group and party; if it is not one of the first two that are bogging down simple, seemingly logical policy changes, it is inter-institutional issues slowing the process. It is still a constant struggle here to see how the balance of power should be aligned between the three branches of government; an issue which took decades for America to begin to shake out, and one which each presidential action and supreme court ruling continues to develop.

            For me, the experience of parliament is still very a constant state of star-struck. My supervisor asked me completely casually, “would you mind attending a meeting with the Albanian Prime Minister with Mrs. Goncz.” I told her I could try to pencil that in to my schedule. Upon meeting the Prime Minister, I will be doing my best not to repeat minute 5:28 of this video, because I value my job.

"Yo means good, yoyo means good good..." Got it.

 

            “Oh, so you must be the yogi! We hired you so you could teach the office yoga.” This was my first interaction with Kinga Goncz, Member of the European Parliament representing Hungary.  Mrs. Goncz or “Kinga,” she insists her staff calls her, is member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament. As member of this platform she advocates for human rights and implementation of governmental programs to support the poor. From what I understand thus far, it is similar to a further left version of the American Democratic Party.  She is able to exert a fare amount of influence over parliamentary decisions as a Vice Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. This committee is one of the largest working groups within parliament and handles a multitude of issues ranging from immigration to national security and civil rights. On Thursday I was sent to “take minutes,” summarize, a joint debate on the movement of Roma people and their living conditions in cities across the EU. Kinga presided over this hearing and offered the initial response to the Roma Commissioner chair’s report on Roma movements. Her response embodied much of the platforms she represents; she felt the investigative commission had failed miserably to address the issue of Roma housing, and further believed the harsh treatment of the Roma people reflected the animosity most western European governments feel toward this group.  I feel very lucky to have been placed with Mrs. Goncz because the committees she presides over and serves on align well with my interests and values.

            Mrs. Goncz also holds a fare about of sway in parliament because she is the former secretary of state in Hungary and is the daughter of the former president of Hungary. Additionally, as a member of the S&D party, she belongs to the second largest party in the parliament and one of the three oldest parties.  The Socialist Democrats group formed during the establishment of the Common Assembly of the European Steal and Coal Commission, and has remained a dominant force in parliament ever since. Many of the presidents of the parliament have come from the ranks of the S and D party. While it can certainly be said that this party is a powerful one within parliament, in recent years the Christian Democrats party has risen to greater prominence. This was awkwardly evident during a vote on the budget, in which Kinga was orchestrating the S&D members votes, when S&D failed to win all but a few of the amendments to the budget. With every down vote my supervisor cursed under his breath, not the best second interaction with a boss I have ever had. While this was a set back for Kinga’s party, this was only one vote on one set of amendments in one committee, I am sure they win votes as often as they lose them.

            The break down of the office is as follows; MEP Goncz attends meetings and gives speeches on a fairly consistent basis throughout the day. While she is away from the office, her three assistants work to prepare her for whatever meeting she will attend next. The work is divided amongst the three by subject matter, my direct supervisor is Ballazs Rottek, he exclusively oversees Kinga’s work with the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.  This is great for me, because it means I get to sit in on the upcoming hearings regarding the NSA’s surveillance of the EU Parliament and report on them to Ballazs. The last member of my office is my fellow intern, Zita, a very pretty Hungarian girl who will be working in the parliament for a month. Mrs. Goncz keeps rotating interns from Hungary for month and two month long stents. She believes any Hungarian young person should get to see how they are represented…swoon.

My favorite part about working with my office is the approachability of my MEP, Emma and Kelly are a week into their internships and have not spoken to their Maltese MEP. On my first day Kinga was very busy preparing the upcoming Strasbourg week, yet she still insisted I come in and talk with her for five minutes about what I am interested in accomplishing during my time in her office. I told her I wanted to see conflict resolution in action, she smiled and said “you’ve come to the right place.”