BudapestParliament.ThisIsWhatDemocracyLooksLikeByAbiKing | EastEurope

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J 5

Jun

19Budapest.Youhavetoputyourselfinmyshoes.

Boots,really,withthickrubbersolestokeepoutthecoldandtokeepa

footholdontheice.Bootsthatworkedhardandworkedfast,stridingbetween

commutersinawinter-wornBudapest.Fivefeet,sixinchesabovethem,a

troubledmindtangledthroughwhatithadjustseen.

IhadjustleftBudapest’sHouseofTerroraspartofmyIronRoutejourney.It

was�rsttheNaziandthentheCommunistSecretServiceheadquarters–and

itleftmethinking.

Italsoleftmerunningtocatchmynextappointment:atouroftheBudapest

ParliamentBuildings,rumouredtobethemostbeautifuloftheirkindinthe

world.

AftertheNaziandSovietprisons,I’dhavebeenimpressedbyatinshackanda

bucketofrotteneelsaslongasthey’denabledahealthydemocracy.But

Budapestwasabouttotakeitoneortwostepsfurther.

Or,moreaccurately,threeorfourstepsfurther,downthecorridor,acrossthe

roadandintoaFerrarithat’sspeedingalongtowardswowville.

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Bothinsideandout,theopulence,eleganceandextravaganceofHungary’s

governmentbuildingsaredi�culttooverstate.Gildedleaves,midnightblue,

highvaults,ornateceilings,anintricategothicexteriormodelledonLondon’s

HousesofParliamentandevensomepolishedbrassholdersforministers’

cigars.Justlikethatlastsentence,it’salottotakein.

Itsmagni�cencecomesassuchacontrasttotheaustereblocksofcommunist-

erabuildingsthatanalmostsilentwhisperseemstospinthroughoutthe

corridors:

“Thisiswhatdemocracylookslike,”itsays.“You’vejustseenthealternatives.

Seethisgleaming,shiningexample?Thisrepresentsfreedom.”

It’sacomfortingwhisper,forallitstreacheroussimplicity.

TheSoviet-stylebuildingsfromthepost-waryearsoftenhavesculpturesof

“ordinarypeople”whostandguardabovegovernmentbuildingstoremindthe

politicianswhopassedbelowjustwhowassupposedtobeworkingforwhom.

Oratleastthatwastheidea.

Related: WhattodoinSo�a?

AftertheNaziandSovietprisons,I’dhavebeenimpressedbyatinshackandabucketofrotteneels.

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BackhereinBudapest,theparliamentdoesn’tbotherwith“ordinarypeople.”

Instead,itoptsforgoldandpearlsandbrandishesHungary’scrownjewelsat

thesummitofasumptuousvelveteenstaircase.

“Whocaresaboutordinarypeople?”itcries.“Look,justlook,athowbeautiful

thisis!Athowbrilliantweare!”

Anditworks.

Thecorridorsarelinedwithhushedqueuesofpeople–allmesmerisedintoa

stuporofadmiration.

Includingme.

“Thisiswhatdemocracylookslike,”itsays.“You’vejustseenthealternatives.Seethisgleaming,shiningexample?Thisrepresentsfreedom.”Inreality,ofcourse,thebuildingsthemselveshavenothingtodowiththe

freedomofthepeople.Orevendemocracy.Budapest’sParliamentBuildings

werecompletedin1904,sothey’veseenitall:theHabsburgs,theNazis,the

Sovietsandmore.

Andevendemocracyitselfisnoguaranteeoffreedom.Hitler,afterall,was

democraticallyelected,afactoneofmyschoolteacherswaspronetorepeat.

Related: ThermalBathsinBudapest:TheWatersofWinter

Itseemstooobvioustostandamongthesepaintings,thesestories,these

historiesandtheseceilingsandto�nishbysayingthatitispeoplewhogive

freedomtothepeople,notthebuildingsnorthesystemsthatusetheirnames.

ButasIsaidatthebeginning,youhavetoputyourselfinmyshoes.Those

bootshadcoveredacenturyinonlyasingleday,.

Andthere’sonlysomuchinsulationtheycouldprovide.

TheTraditionalPartBudapest’sParliamentaryBuildingsarebeautifulandworththequeuetheday

beforetogetaticket. 

Disclosure:IvisitedHungaryaspartofmyIronRouteproject, inpartnershipwith

InterRail,andIreceivedcomplimentaryentryintotheParliamentBuildingsthanks

toHungaryTourism.

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