Hungary explained: the NER

The acronym NER (say: naehr) stands for Nemzeti Együttműködés Rendszere (National Cooperation System). Its roots go back to the early days of Orbán’s rule but since then its meaning has changed.

The original meaning

After its landslide victory of Orbán’s FIDESZ party in May 2010 the national assembly adopted a resolution (under the number 1/2010. (VI. 16.)). This is mostly pompous bullshit about national pride and how the age of peace and plenty has dawned on Hungary.

This “Declaration of National Cooperation” (Nemzeti Együttműködés Nyilatkozata, NENYI, say: nehnyee) was ordered to be on display at any state entity, including public schools, police stations, military barracks etc. Here is and English translation.

The NENYI. IT was since replaced by the preamble of the Basic Law. Or not. Nobody cares.

The old constitution was also replaced by the new “Basic Law” (a bad translation of the German “Grundgesetz”) so next to the NENYI they placed the Table of The Basic Law (Alaptörvény Asztala) with a copy of the “granite hard” new constitution. The constitution was amended twelve times since and no one bothered to replace the outdated copies. The guy who came up with the idea died and the Tables were removed. In fact they still should be there but like with many other things in NER no one really cares. 

The current meaning

If the faked pompousness of the Declaration and the Table strikes you as whimsical or even ridiculous…you are right. No one took that seriously. After a few months the NENYIs on the wall faded just like the pictures of Lenin in olden times. 

The propaganda moved on to new bullshit but the name NER stayed behind. Now it’s the name of the SYSTEM. It is by no means a well-meaning name for it. One understands the corruption, the irrational politics, the hopelessness, the billions spent on stupid propaganda, the irrational number of stadiums built when roads crumble etc. 

NER is not used when Orbán-fans or public servants are present. Saying NER doesn’t mean that you hate the NER or want to start a revolution. It means that you know it’s not good, and you don’t think it can be changed. You live in it but you try to distance yourself from it by using its old official name ironically.