Leader of Hungarian opposition does not want to take part in live televised debate – here is why, UPDATED
The M1 news channel has offered a new date for the debate between Balázs Orbán, the prime minister’s political director and Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party. Tisza Party received almost 30% on the 9 June European parliamentary elections and their support continues to grow, so we can say that they are currently the challenger of PM Orbán’s Fidesz. Based on recent polls, they stand at 39%, only a couple of percent behind Orbán’s Fidesz party.
MTVA is suggesting to hold the live debate on October 3, at 8.35pm, MTVA said on Tuesday. The debate was scheduled for September 19, but Magyar rejected the date saying he would participate only after the flood had subsided.
The Tisza Party – in a reaction concerning the new debate date – told Telex that Magyar would participate in a debate only with PM Orbán since he has nothing to discuss with Balázs Orbán, who does not hold a significant position in the government or the Fidesz party.
Meanwhile, Magyar slammed the government in a post stating that they were unable to deploy thousands of soldiers to take part in the flood protection efforts. Instead, the number of military personnel helping with protection struggles is only 1,600. He suggested that without the help of civil volunteers, the Hungarian government could not protect Hungary from the flood.
Magyar: Volunteers key to success of flood defence
Without the hard work of tens of thousands of volunteers, flood defences “wouldn’t work anywhere”, the opposition Tisza Party leader said in a statement on Wednesday. Péter Magyar wrote that 12,000 volunteer reservists had been working on the dams since Sunday, while the government had only managed to deploy 1,600 soldiers by Wednesday over five days.
“While children are also (rightly) filling sandbags, the army is holding military exercises in Bakony,” he said. Magyar hailed national unity and the work of civilians as “something to be applauded”. “But in a normally functioning government, the work of civilians wouldn’t be complemented by professional staff, but the other way around,” he added.
Here’s the defence minister’s reply
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, the defence minister, rejected Magyar’s comments about the number of soldiers working on the dams, saying the Hungarian Armed Forces was “not a joke” or something to be “insulted”. “Who is anyone to insult the capabilities of the Hungarian Armed Forces and specifically the soldiers?” the minister said in a video posted on Facebook. He said the deployment of the military was not about “rushing and running to whatever place comes to mind just because the cameras are there”, adding that the defence work was a carefully planned manoeuvre. Szalay-Bobrovniczky said the troops were deployed where they were needed, which was determined by the water management authority.
Read also:
- Extreme flood reached Hungary: Danube bridge, border crossing closed, ferry service halted, train service changed – read more HERE