budapest parliament. this is what democracy looks like...budapest’s parliament buildings were...
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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.
s
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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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