European neo-Nazis to hold rally in Hungary in October

A three-day networking congress of European neo-Nazi organisations is scheduled to take place in Sopron from 6 October. Locals are organising protests, while the mayor has issued a statement clarifying that there is zero tolerance for all forms of anti-Semitism. All the while, local hoteliers are explaining themselves to their guests, saying that they are not aware of any such event.

The Austrian press had already reported in May that Europe’s neo-fascists were organising their 1st Gerd Honsik European Congress in Sopron. Nevertheless, the news blew the fuse in the city this week after an anti-fascist blog post about it appeared online. The residents of Sopron were practically united in their outrage, with the unexpected event even bringing the city’s Fidesz leadership together with the opposition, Telex reports.

billboard of neo-nazi congress/source: Infochannel telegram

Far-right groups coming from all over Europe

According to the information available on the telegram channel of Infokanal Deutschösterreich (German-Austrian Information Channel), which the newspaper cites as one of the organisers’ sites, far-right groups will gather in the western Hungarian city between 6 and 8 October. Although the detailed programme and the exact location are only available via email, it is clear from the information so far that the three-day event, which costs EUR 25 and is open to the public, will include lectures by Der III.Weg (Germany), the Nordic Resistance Movement (Scandinavia), Casa Pound (Italy) and one of the founding leaders of the Nouvelle droite/New Culture.

What are neo-Nazis doing in Sopron?

This is not the first time since the regime change that they have chosen to meet in the city. In the early 2000s, they met at a “musical gathering” in Harka, near Sopron. Moreover, the man after whom the far right named their congress, Gerd Honsik, had lived in the town for years.

Gerd Honsik’s father died in WWII, and his mother raised him in a “patriotic spirit”. He was, in fact, considered one of Austria’s best-known Holocaust deniers. The Austrian neo-Nazi was jailed several times. At the age of 70, he was released early from his last prison sentence, and shortly afterwards moved to Sopron, Hungary. The city’s proximity to the border and Vienna may have prompted his choice. He died there in 2018.

Hungarian press was brimming with reports that the neo-Nazi martial arts gala, European Fight Night would be held in the Hungarian capital. The event in question caused a lot of tension at the time as well, so the venue had to be changed. The new location was Csókakő, where the local authorities didn’t know what and who they had agreed to host.

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Another reason why Hungary may be considered a friendly location is because of the international meetings of the Day of Honour (Tag der Ehre in German). Every year in February, the European Nazis hold an international meeting (considered important by them) in Buda Castle, where far-right groups commemorate the joint breakout attempt of Hungarian and German troops on 11 February 1944.

“The Day of Honour” rally at the Buda castle/ Source: Wikipedia

By invitation only

Registration for the congress in Sopron was open until 22 September and the invitation was available on their Telegram channel. The exact location of the meeting, which is scheduled from 6 October to 8 October, is only revealed to those who buy a ticket. The site is no longer available. Several hotels in Sopron complained that they keep having to explain themselves: no, they were not aware of a neo-Nazi conference on their premises on 6 October.

Mérce wrote that Fidesz mayor Ciprián Farkas distanced himself from the far-right event. While the opposition Momentum party in Sopron is organising a counter-demonstration in front of the hotel where the event is supposed to take place on 7 October. They call on the mayor to prevent the conference.