The constant flow of information and so-called news in our high-tech society today is changing the face of policymaking, and not for the better, according to Maximilian Teleki, president of the Hungarian American Coalition in Washington, D.C., who spoke at CEU Nov. 21 in a lecture hosted by President and Rector John Shattuck.
“The abundance of information imposed on us is not necessarily news, it’s noise,” he said. “It makes decision-making more tactical and impulsive, rather than strategic.”
While social media and the sheer amount of information offers a degree of transparency, the speed of information flow forces policymakers to respond “to the noise, not what’s behind the noise.”

Teleki was critical of the U.S. for failing to develop and pursue a comprehensive strategy toward the Central and East European region. The recent friction between the U.S. and Hungary can be seen as an example of that failure, he said. Nor is the U.S. media providing a balanced, full picture of the Hungarian reality, he said, and this has had an overly negative effect on public opinion.
“Criticizing the erosion of democratic processes is valid, but is not a comprehensive strategy,” Teleki said. “Media coverage is incomplete. The friction and mistrust needs to be rolled back.”
Nevertheless, Teleki was not satisfied with the Hungarian response to U.S. allegations of the spread of corruption in Hungary.
“The Hungarian government got very defensive,” he said. “I’d like to see a response that is not just words, but action.”
Hungary’s recent agreement with Russia on energy does not necessarily mean Hungary is drifting away from its EU and NATO allies, Teleki said.

“I do believe Hungary and the U.S. share common values,” Teleki said. “Hungary belongs in the Western community of democracies. It has natural democratic ties to the U.S. and Western Europe.”
In response to a question from the audience, Teleki said the Hungarian diaspora in the U.S. represents a “tapestry of views” from staunch support of the Hungarian government to serious concern about recent developments including limits on media freedom, swift and drastic amendments to the constitution, and changes in electoral law. Teleki’s organization, the Hungarian American Coalition, as well as the Central and East Europe Coalition of 21 countries, works to identify common interests of the diaspora and represent them toward governments in many countries.
Teleki has been President of the Hungarian American Coalition since December 2004, after serving as a Board Member for 11 years. With a BA from the Catholic University of America and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Teleki has been Adjunct Professor at the Catholic University of America, teaching courses on media and international relations and comparative world politics since 2000.





