Ferenc Gyurcsány, the leader of the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK), called for continuing the fight until “there is a chance to turn the wheel of history”, in his address evaluating Hungary’s April 3 general election won by the ruling coalition in a landslide.
The democratic opposition “has suffered its biggest defeat of the past 30 years,” Gyurcsány told a party meeting on Saturday. He said that not only the parties of the united opposition but their desire for freedom, for a European homeland, civic ideals and a nation seeking future success had undoubtedly suffered a defeat last Sunday.
Analysing the possible causes, Gyurcsány said that instead of two distinct frontlines,
“the Orbán regime encircled and besieged the fairly diffuse network of the opposition”.
The prime minister’s toolbox for “the siege” contained a state power monopolised by the ruling parties, an election law created to serve them, uneven financial and infrastructural resources of the ruling parties versus the opposition and fully controlled information flow to the public typical only “in a dictatorship”.
He rejected proposals that opposition politicians should return their parliamentary mandates arguing that it would amount to “full surrender”.
“We must stay together and preserve what the six parties have achieved in the past years,”
Gyurcsány said.
He said that the opposition’s primaries had fulfilled their role to create unity among the several competing parties while failed in creating a massive camp “of active and committed supporters” all the way until the election.
As regards the selection of a joint prime ministerial candidate via the system of primaries, Gyurcsány said “choosing a right-wing candidate without any political party infrastructure was in fact giving up our self-identity”.
“We committed suicide when choosing a candidate whose goal was ‘to replace’ the opposition which he should have led to victory,”
Gyurcsány said.
Discussing future plans, Gyurcsány highlighted the importance of further strengthening the six parties’ political alliance by reinforcing its internal political and emotional cohesion. “We need a more united and better organised opposition in the coming years,” he said. After Sunday’s defeat, the task is “to go ahead and
fight without making compromises,
in a fair manner; and that’s what DK will do,” Gyurcsány said.
Source: MTI
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3 Comments
In most cases, when a political opponent loses an election by so much, the opposition leader RESIGNS. Isn’t it time Mr Gyurcsány resigned as the leader of the opposition coalition? Isn’t it time he left the political scene all together? There are things voters never forget.
For that matter, isn’t it time some pollsters went out to question the public if it was indeed Mr Gyurcsány’s name that stopped them from backing the opposition coalition?
Another question might be if it was Mr Márki-Zay being the choice for the opposition coalition’s candidate for PM that stopped voters from voting for the coalition. Most people still tend to vote for the man, rather than the party, or their policies, especially in the counties.
Time for the opposition coalition to REGROUP, make themselves stronger, chose future candidates with very strong personalities who are able to deliver a collective message. A coalition with no connections to Gyurcsány and/or any excess “baggage”, and a squeaky clean image that PM Orbán can’t smear, or use against them. Surely, not all Hungarian politicians are as “bad” as PM Orbán’s team makes them out to be.
It’s time for the opposition coalition to leave no stone unturned and find out (PRECISELY) why they failed so miserably. They are not in tune with the voters, and why voters vote for who they vote.
More sour grapes from that leftist bloviating blow hard Gyurcsány. NO one with half a brain wanted a return to the failed policies of the leftist and their sausage coalition Get over it Gyurcsány, You are finished in Hungaian politics we remember the past, we remember your lies and we remember your crimes against the people in Budapest when you sicked the police on protesters. YOU ARE FINISHED MOVE ON.
@Nin
Absolutely agree wholeheartedly. I also wouldn’t trust Fidesz as far as I could throw them.