2006HU

2006 was one of the more influential turning points of recent Hungarian history. In the spring, the prime minister delivered a speech in a congress of his (socialist) party one month after being elected that became viral as a recording, even though it was meant to be private. It practically admitted that during the previous cycle when the party reigned, it did little and lied a lot. On 18 September, many “average” people including students and families with small children demonstrated in front of the Parliament against the restrictive measures that the government put in place in the meantime. Knowing about this is about to come (preparations were made during the day), I took my camera to document the event. What started apparently as a peaceful gathering transformed in the course of the evening and the people (likely with a greatly changed composition) went to the headquarters of the national TV and mounted what became a “siege” on it. The police was incapable of stop it and people, who entered the building, requesting that the TV airs their demands of the government. This event was followed by further protests, whose story is still not completely known but left many injured. Although they have not had immediate effect, the government never was truly capable of regaining its power and when the country entered the 2009 economic crisis with a government in crisis.