Hungarian prestige

A recent scandal involving the President of Hungary Pal Schmitt went almost unnoticed by the Ukrainian mass media. According to Hungarian periodical HGV, 180 out of 215 pages of Schmitt’s dissertation “Analysis of the Program of Modern Olympic Games” were copied from the work by Bulgarian scholar Nikolay Gueorguiev, written and defended in 1987. Later it was established that 16 pages of the thesis are identical to the text by German scientist Klaus Heinemann.

The Semmelweis University Senate (Budapest), the successor of Hungarian University of Physical Education, where Schmitt defended his thesis in 1992, withdrew his title for “not meeting scientific and aesthetic standards.”

Former Hungarian president already stated in his interview for one of the Hungarian television channels, “I did not intend to declare anyone’s intellectual property to be my own. I listed my sources. I followed the instructions... I acted as an average university student.” However, in order to revive his reputation, Schmitt intends to write another thesis, this one dedicated to the connection between the Olympics and the environment protection. “I am going to prove that there is still perseverance in me, a former Olympic champion. I am going to prove now, as a 70-year-old, that I am capable of writing a dissertation that meets contemporary and very difficult criteria,” Vedomosti quote Hungarian ex-president as saying. It should be also noted that Schmitt resigned only after consulting Viktor Orban, prime minister, and after a few demonstrations took place.

This case is an example for Ukrainian political elite. Because the society has been waiting for a long time for Ukrainian politicians to become role models, just like European ones. Especially, since Ukraine wants to integrate into the EU.

The Day asked Gabor TAKACS, political scientist at Nezopont Intezet Center (Bucharest) to comment on the situation concerning the president of Hungary.

“Of course, writing a dissertation is a mere formality, especially for the head of a country. During the few recent weeks it became clear that Schmitt has lost most of the trust he had as a president, thanks to this scandal about his thesis. This does remind of a similar international example, when former German defense minister Karl zu Guttenberg was convicted of plagiarism. Schmitt has lost his prestige as a president that is why Fidesz accepted his resignation. Opinion poll revealed that the majority wanted Schmitt to resign. So, he made a logical decision. After he lost the ability to be a uniting figure in Hungarian politics, he did not want to be a person who would share the public opinion and political life.”

Can this plagiarism scandal influence Hungary’s image on the international level?

“This can influence the discussion we are having with the European Union, for example, or the negotiations process with the International Monetary Fund, or the pressure the new Hungarian constitution is being put under. I do not think the problem of the country’s former leader, a single person, is going to change the overall image of Hungary significantly. From the perspective of internal affairs, this is very important. In case Schmitt refused to leave the post, it would have damaged the image of the party in power. I expect the next candidate Fidesz provides to become a popular president, the way the former president was. Before this scandal, Schmitt was held in respect. If Fidesz manages to propose someone with a similar personality, this might hush up the plagiarism situation a little. But in any case, this is utterly important for the political situation within the country and relations between the parties.”