Krisztina Morvai
Encyclopedia
Krisztina Morvai is a Hungarian
lawyer
. She was elected on the list of the political party Jobbik Magyarországért Mozgalom (Movement for a Better Hungary) in the 2009 European Parliament elections
. Although Morvai is not a member of Jobbik, the party already declared her as its future nominee for the position of the president of Hungary. She's the sixth most popular
politician in Hungary.
in 1963 to parents Klári Fekete and Miklós Morvai. After graduating from ELTE Apáczai Csere János High School, she went to Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest, getting a law degree cum laude. After graduation she gained qualifications to practice as a judge in Hungary, but instead of working in that capacity she went on to teach at the university, currently as an associate professor. In 1989 she was the first recipient of a British Government scholarship for students in central Europe and was presented with her award by UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher personally. She used the scholarship to study advanced law at King's College London
gaining a Master of Laws degree. In 1993-1994 she taught law in the United States at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
as a Fulbright scholar. She primarily researches the area of penal law, dealing with the retrospective administration of justice, the question of abortion, victim's rights in criminal procedure, the dignity and rights of the HIV positive, child abuse and sexual exploitation, the problem of prostitution, discrimination and domestic violence. She is author of the book Terror a családban (Terror in the family) a book on domestic violence.
In the 1990s, Morvai worked for the European Commission of Human Rights
where she was shocked to discover that the Commission spies electronically on the computer usage of its own researchers, and between 2003-2006 she was a member of the Women's Anti-discrimination Committee of the United Nations
.
Morvai had come to international attention several times over various human rights issues. She was the Hungarian member of a UN Women's Rights Committee and on one occasion she notably defended the human rights of sex workers and on another those of Arab women in Israel.
She is the mother of three daughters, including (twins). She and her husband György Baló, a Hungarian television reporter, no longer live together but believe that "the best thing for the children is when both parents are there for them. We live in the same house, but in two separate households."
After announcing her candidacy for the European elections, Morvai became a focus of attention for the media
, shunning interviews with the United Kingdom
press in light of what she saw as biased attacks. During the election campaign, Morvai said that if it entered parliament, Jobbik would join “one of the eurosceptic factions which will only form in the light of the election results”. On 7 June 2009, Morvai was elected MEP (Member of the European Parliament
) along with two of her colleagues on the Jobbik ticket. After the election Morvai stated that despite the large amount of defamation Jobbik was calling on its political opponents to come together and cooperate to achieve the goals of the country. György Baló was not given his usual role of leading the election coverage to avoid accusations of bias.
Morvai has been called antisemitic, especially after her statement that "So-called proud Hungarian Jews should go back to playing with their tiny little circumcised tails."
In the UN Women's Rights Committee Morvai conducted research into what she called the "inhumane living conditions" of Palestinian women, which resulted in a complaint being filed against her by the Israeli government. In 2006, after she was removed from her UN position, she complained that this was due to Israeli political pressure which resulted in her losing her seat and being replaced by a Hungarian Jewish woman, Andrea Pető, whom she described as "a well-known zionist
activist". Pető, actually an activist of the feminist, Jewish traditionalist cultural foundation Esztertáska, did not receive the necessary votes to be confirmed to the committee.
In March 2009 the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
and Jungle World
quoted an undated and otherwise unreported speech in 2008 in which Morvai "advised" the "liberal-bolshevick zionists" to "start thinking of where to flee and where to hide". Morvai made a similar suggestion in a letter addressed to the editors of the weekly Élet és Irodalom
. In February 2009, Morvai objected to Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip
and called it a "mass murder
" and "genocide
" of the Palestinian people
and in an open letter to the Israeli ambassador to Hungary wrote that Israel held itself above the law and that its leaders would be imprisoned for their actions in Gaza, she continued, "The only way to talk to people like you is by assuming the style of Hamas
. I wish all of you lice-infested, dirty murderers will receive Hamas' 'kisses.'"
In November 2009, Palestinian Return Centre withdrew Morvai's invitation to a London conference in support of Palestine.
to Hungary, on the occasion that the ambassador visited the headquarters of three parties but not that of the Jobbik, on the night of the 2010 general election
. This was answered by Richard Field, an American businessman, living in Hungary, the main financial supporter of the party Politics Can Be Different
.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. She was elected on the list of the political party Jobbik Magyarországért Mozgalom (Movement for a Better Hungary) in the 2009 European Parliament elections
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
. Although Morvai is not a member of Jobbik, the party already declared her as its future nominee for the position of the president of Hungary. She's the sixth most popular
Popularity
Popularity is the quality of being well-liked or common, or having a high social status. Popularity figures are an important part of many people's personal value systems and form a vital component of success in people-oriented fields such as management, politics, and entertainment, among...
politician in Hungary.
Life and career
Morvai was born in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in 1963 to parents Klári Fekete and Miklós Morvai. After graduating from ELTE Apáczai Csere János High School, she went to Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest, getting a law degree cum laude. After graduation she gained qualifications to practice as a judge in Hungary, but instead of working in that capacity she went on to teach at the university, currently as an associate professor. In 1989 she was the first recipient of a British Government scholarship for students in central Europe and was presented with her award by UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher personally. She used the scholarship to study advanced law at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
gaining a Master of Laws degree. In 1993-1994 she taught law in the United States at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
as a Fulbright scholar. She primarily researches the area of penal law, dealing with the retrospective administration of justice, the question of abortion, victim's rights in criminal procedure, the dignity and rights of the HIV positive, child abuse and sexual exploitation, the problem of prostitution, discrimination and domestic violence. She is author of the book Terror a családban (Terror in the family) a book on domestic violence.
In the 1990s, Morvai worked for the European Commission of Human Rights
European Commission of Human Rights
European Commission of Human Rights was a special tribunal.From 1954 to the entry into force of Protocol 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, individuals did not have direct access to the European Court of Human Rights; they had to apply to the Commission, which if it found the case to be...
where she was shocked to discover that the Commission spies electronically on the computer usage of its own researchers, and between 2003-2006 she was a member of the Women's Anti-discrimination Committee of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Morvai had come to international attention several times over various human rights issues. She was the Hungarian member of a UN Women's Rights Committee and on one occasion she notably defended the human rights of sex workers and on another those of Arab women in Israel.
She is the mother of three daughters, including (twins). She and her husband György Baló, a Hungarian television reporter, no longer live together but believe that "the best thing for the children is when both parents are there for them. We live in the same house, but in two separate households."
After announcing her candidacy for the European elections, Morvai became a focus of attention for the media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
, shunning interviews with the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
press in light of what she saw as biased attacks. During the election campaign, Morvai said that if it entered parliament, Jobbik would join “one of the eurosceptic factions which will only form in the light of the election results”. On 7 June 2009, Morvai was elected MEP (Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
) along with two of her colleagues on the Jobbik ticket. After the election Morvai stated that despite the large amount of defamation Jobbik was calling on its political opponents to come together and cooperate to achieve the goals of the country. György Baló was not given his usual role of leading the election coverage to avoid accusations of bias.
Morvai has been called antisemitic, especially after her statement that "So-called proud Hungarian Jews should go back to playing with their tiny little circumcised tails."
In the UN Women's Rights Committee Morvai conducted research into what she called the "inhumane living conditions" of Palestinian women, which resulted in a complaint being filed against her by the Israeli government. In 2006, after she was removed from her UN position, she complained that this was due to Israeli political pressure which resulted in her losing her seat and being replaced by a Hungarian Jewish woman, Andrea Pető, whom she described as "a well-known zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
activist". Pető, actually an activist of the feminist, Jewish traditionalist cultural foundation Esztertáska, did not receive the necessary votes to be confirmed to the committee.
In March 2009 the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency is an international news agency serving Jewish community newspapers and media around the world. The JTA was founded on February 6, 1917, by Jacob Landau as the Jewish Correspondence Bureau in The Hague with the mandate of collecting and disseminating news among and...
and Jungle World
Jungle World
Jungle World is a German weekly newspaper published in Berlin. Initially founded in 1997 by striking editors of the German Marxist daily Junge Welt, it became independent after only a few issues...
quoted an undated and otherwise unreported speech in 2008 in which Morvai "advised" the "liberal-bolshevick zionists" to "start thinking of where to flee and where to hide". Morvai made a similar suggestion in a letter addressed to the editors of the weekly Élet és Irodalom
Élet és Irodalom
Élet és Irodalom is a weekly Hungarian newspaper about literature and politics. It is considered a postmodernist and politically liberal periodical, politically close to the left-wing parties MSZP and SZDSZ....
. In February 2009, Morvai objected to Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
and called it a "mass murder
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
" and "genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
" of the Palestinian people
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
and in an open letter to the Israeli ambassador to Hungary wrote that Israel held itself above the law and that its leaders would be imprisoned for their actions in Gaza, she continued, "The only way to talk to people like you is by assuming the style of Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
. I wish all of you lice-infested, dirty murderers will receive Hamas' 'kisses.'"
In November 2009, Palestinian Return Centre withdrew Morvai's invitation to a London conference in support of Palestine.
Open letters
Morvai wrote an open letter to Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis, United States AmbassadorUnited States Ambassador to Hungary
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to HungaryUntil 1867 Hungary had been part of the Austrian Empire, when the empire became Austria-Hungary. Hungary had no separate diplomatic relations with other nations...
to Hungary, on the occasion that the ambassador visited the headquarters of three parties but not that of the Jobbik, on the night of the 2010 general election
Hungarian parliamentary election, 2010
A parliamentary election was held in Hungary on 11 and 25 April 2010 to choose MPs for the National Assembly. They were the sixth free elections since the end of communist era. The 386 members of parliament were elected in a combined system of party lists and electoral constituencies...
. This was answered by Richard Field, an American businessman, living in Hungary, the main financial supporter of the party Politics Can Be Different
Politics Can Be Different
Politics Can Be Different , abbreviated to LMP, is a Hungarian green liberal political party. Founded in 2009, it was one of four parties to win seats in the National Assembly in the 2010 parliamentary election.-History:...
.
Books and articles
- Gender Discrimination – Related Cases Before the European Commission and Court of Human Rights. = Promoting Human Rights and Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe. 1995.
- What is Missing the Rhetoric of Choice? UCLA Women’s Law Journal. 1995.
- Magánügy-e a feleségbántalmazás? Belügyi Szemle. 1998/3. 55-71.
- Terror a családban. A feleségbántalmazás és a jog. Budapest, Kossuth Kiadó, 1998.
- KITTI Rettegés és erőszak – otthon Rejtjel Kiadó – ISBN 9637255095
External links
- Morvai Krisztina -- Official web site
- Jobbik Magyarországért Mozgalom -- Official web site of Movement for a Better HungaryMovement for a Better HungaryJobbik, The Movement for a Better Hungary commonly known as Jobbik, is a Hungarian radical nationalist political party. Jobbik has been denoted by scholars, different press outlets and its political opponents as fascist, neo-fascist, anti-Semitic, anti-Roma and homophobic...
(English)