Budapest
Is Hungarian opposition leader Viktor Orbán dabbling in black magic? The notion gained wide circulation this week when Hungary’s leading Web daily, Index.hu, published an interview with Cézár Abaffy, head of the Hungarian Association of Witches. According to Abaffy, witchcraft explains the misfortunes that have befallen those who have criticized Orbán. A reporter who published a critical article was found to have falsified previous stories; the head of a parliamentary committee investigating Orbán’s wealth was forced to resign when his criminal past came to light; and the new head of that committee was reprimanded for driving drunk. Other observers, though, noted that the bad tidings could be attributed to spin doctoring, not witch doctoring.
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