The agricultural economist, often referred to as the "green baron," joined the opposition Tisza Party last fall. In addition to advising Peter Magyar, Rasko also helps him select the party's MP candidates. However, this is not promising news for Hungarian farmers, as Rasko’s network and philosophy align closely with the expectations of Peter Magyar's handlers in Brussels— the European People’s Party, led by Manfred Weber.
Entrusting Hungary's Agriculture to Brussels
This comes as no surprise to those familiar with Rasko’s past. A central figure in Hungary’s 1 privatization in the 1990s, the economist took a lion's share in dismantling and selling off the country’s food industry.
On the eve of Hungary’s EU accession, the green baron openly welcomed the loss of national sovereignty in agricultural policy: "I am particularly happy about EU accession because then our agricultural policy will be directed from Brussels, not domestically,"
the economist told the weekly Elet es Irodalom in November 2003.
Criticized Area-Based Subsidies
In 2022, Rasko criticized the EU’s subsidy system based on land area, which Ursula von der Leyen and others are now preparing to overhaul. In a December 2022 interview with Privatbankar, the agricultural economist said the current system was flawed because it promotes extensive production. It’s no coincidence that in October last year, Peter Magyar called for dismantling the EU's agricultural subsidy system in line with European Commission proposals, a move that would bankrupt Hungarian farmers.
Farmers Earn Too Much for Too Little Work, the Green Baron Claims
In the same interview, the Tisza Party president's friend argued that a typical family-run farm managing 100 hectares earns an unreasonably high income with relatively little work thanks to land-based subsidies. He also pointed out that these farmers pay minimal taxes under the "primary producer" category.
Hair-Raising Statements
When Rasko first appeared publicly alongside Peter Magyar last fall, he spoke at length in a live stream detailing his ideas, many of which are completely out of touch with the reality of Hungarian farmers. In the video recording still available on the Tisza Party president’s social media, the green baron made several outrageous claims about Hungarian agriculture.
Checking in from near the Koros River, the pair discussed how to improve productivity on small farms. During the discussion, Rasko contradicted himself several times within just a few sentences.
Program of Re-Opening
He first proposed a rural development program that included what he called “re-opening." It is noteworthy what Gyorgy Rasko meant by it: "We need to move people back out of the villages and their comfortable lives and create small farm hubs directly on-site. Across the entire European Union, from Austria to Poland to Germany, farmers live where they work.”
In other words, this major agribusiness figure would effectively push farmers out of villages and into farm centers located next to their land. Then, once these villages are empty, they would be "rehabilitated", which would be a move he also expects to increase production.
After Rasko recently admitted in an interview that he financially supports the Tisza Party, it is reasonable to assume that as Peter Magyar’s chief agricultural advisor, he would do everything in his power to ensure a future government conforms to Brussels’ demands which would be tantamount to ruining Hungarian farmers.
