Gergő Motyovszki

Proportionally, the estimated 100-200k Pride marchers in Budapest today would correspond to something approaching 1m in London or New York. And this in a country that has now spent 15 years under illiberal, authoritarian rule.

What a symbol of hope.

28.06.2025 17:55 — 👍 441    🔁 107    💬 4    📌 2

Trump's tariffs are designed for maximum damage—to America President Donald Trump touted his bewildering array of "Liberation Day" import tariffs as carefully calibrated to offset trade partners' tariff, nontariff, and currency barriers to US exports. However...

Trump's tariffs are designed for maximum damage—to America This is not a both sides have a point situation.
Maury Obstfeld @piie.com speaking truth to power.
www.piie.com/blogs/realti...

04.04.2025 15:18 — 👍 94    🔁 43    💬 2    📌 5

So these "reciprocal tariffs" are cumulative on the 20% China already got, but not on sectoral tariffs on cars and steel&aluminium?

Also, what about Russia?

02.04.2025 22:19 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Are we to understand these "reciprocal tariffs" as coming *in addition to* already announced "other tariffs" (e.g. 20% on China, or 25% on steel&aluminim and 25% on cars)? Or the highest rate of overlapping tariff regimes applies?

02.04.2025 21:48 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Reciprocity and discrimination: When are tariffs useful remedies? The Trump administration has marked April 2 for its next big tariff announcement, one centered on countering unfair trade practices abroad and imposing reciprocal trade protection. The administration ...

🧵(1/7) My new blog @piie.com is out, on “reciprocity”, a deeply flawed motive for tariffs. Why?

For trade barriers, the rationale is wrong-headed.

For tax policy differences, the rationale is nonsensical; the tax policies in question create no US disadvantage.

www.piie.com/blogs/realti...

31.03.2025 13:33 — 👍 35    🔁 21    💬 1    📌 3

We Were the Rule-of-Law Generation. Emphasis on ‘Were.’ Watching the United States’ descent into an autocratic mafia state is an eerie experience, having spent my entire adult life in Hungary’s…

Watching the US slide into autocracy feels eerily familiar — like re-living the early years of Orbánism (only more intense, honestly).

I wrote down some reflections from that period. It won’t make you feel better. But it might make the stakes clearer.

medium.com/@palma.polya...

23.03.2025 16:19 — 👍 66    🔁 24    💬 2    📌 2

Hadja Lahbib, the EU commissioner for equality, suggested the new law contravened the values of the 27-nation bloc, posting: “Everyone should be able to be who they are, live & love freely. The right to gather peacefully is a fundamental right to be championed across the European Union. We stand with the LGBTQI community – in Hungary & in all member states.

Yesterday, an EU member state banned Pride events 🏳️‍🌈, threatening to use facial recognition & 500€ fines to target attendees.

We need more than deep concerns.

We need EU leaders across the continent to book their tickets to Budapest & join us on June 28

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

19.03.2025 07:56 — 👍 55    🔁 16    💬 1    📌 1

Re: today's news about the German fiscal bazooka

Back in 2019, I argued that DE austerity & underinvestment would only change if their external enablers disappeared. These policies were always self-harming, but buoyant US & Chinese demand kept the costs hidden. Not anymore.

doi.org/10.1080/1356...

14.03.2025 15:51 — 👍 11    🔁 5    💬 2    📌 0

Viktor Orbán says he’ll ban Budapest Pride. We won’t let that happen. This year, we’ll march in greater numbers than ever 🏳️‍🌈

My message to European leaders: stand with us. Announce that you’re coming to Budapest.

#SeeYouAtBudapestPride

Read the op-ed 🗞️ euobserver.com/eu-political...

05.03.2025 12:29 — 👍 49    🔁 19    💬 0    📌 2

How Germany’s Fiscal Orthodoxy Toppled Its Government and Imperils Its Future | Review of Democracy On November 6, 2024, Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, ending Germany’s “traffic light” coalition in dramatic fashion. This wasn’t just a matter of personal differen...

My postmortem on the Ampel🚦goverment — toppled by the debt brake, the German economy’s suicide pact

Have a read👇
tinyurl.com/mr4b7n9h

@revdem2020.bsky.social

11.12.2024 16:17 — 👍 50    🔁 22    💬 1    📌 7

(Of course, EU-level central budget would help the single currency as well, to more easily achieve the desired fiscal stance when monetary policy is constrained by the ZLB.)

12.01.2024 09:50 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Nice recap of EUI event. It is not so much monetary integration that necessitates fiscal integration in Europe but it is rather the single market (integration of the real economy) that necessitates both: avoiding competitive devaluations as well as a subsidy race to preserve the level playing field.

12.01.2024 09:49 — 👍 4    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0