House speaker: US could be mulling new liberal party in Hungary

Budapest (MTI) – The United States could aim for the establishment of a political party in Hungary to take the place of the defunct liberal Free Democrats (SZDSZ), House Speaker Laszlo Kover said in an interview in Saturday’s issue of daily Magyar Hirlap.

It would be logical to establish an SZDSZ successor by 2018 to ensure inclusion in a government against radical nationalist Jobbik, Kover told the paper.

A global political power struggle is underway, and at stake is not only the fate of Hungary, but of all of Europe, as well as the sovereignty of Europe’s nation states and the chance for true democracy, he said.

Kover said Hungary does not have to work to “get the Americans on our side”, rather it must seek alliances elsewhere, alliances with other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, “in the same boat” as Hungary.

He said there were “a few peaceful years” after the end of the Cold War when the United States appeared to be the sole big power in the world. “But we see this is not the case. The United States must still struggle with its new rivals, emerging former third world powers, and with Russia,” he said.

Kover said it appears that the Americans will now not be satisfied with just the replacement of the current government, but are thinking in terms of replacing the whole governing and opposition elite.

He noted that Jobbik had taken advantage of protests in the past months as well as the weakening of governing Fidesz.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters