election

Election 2018 – PM candidate Karácsony: Government policies may exclude Hungary from renewed Europe

The policies of Hungary’s incumbent government “jeopardise” the country’s chances to become “part of a renewed and social Europe”, Gergely Karácsony, the prime ministerial candidate of the Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance, said after meeting diplomats in Budapest on Wednesday.

Karácsony insisted that the government’s policies were “creating a war situation in the EU” and said that the community could cut funding for the country because of its “non-transparent bids involving huge risks of corruption”.

He pledged that under his premiership Hungary would join the European Prosecutor’s Office with no delay and his government would “do every possible step to distribute community funds in a transparent way and ensuring that they reach voters”. He added that EU funds would be spent on human resources, health and welfare if his party alliance won the upcoming election.

Karácsony rejected “false and completely baseless” accusations that the opposition is working to turn Hungary into a migrant haven. He said his government would not support mandatory migrant quotas but it would contribute to a European solution to the migrant problem through, for example, strengthening border protection. He added that Hungary was not suffering from a migration pressure; “nobody wants to immigrate, people rather seek to emigrate from this country.”

Karácsony was asked about press reports saying that a staff of some 2,000 are currently working to implement the “Soros plan” in Hungary.

He said he had not heard the footage mentioned in the reports, and insisted that there was “no Soros Plan in Hungary”. Hungary has an “Orbán Plan to drive the country out of the EU,” he added.

Fidesz said in reaction that it was Karácsony and “the rest of the Soros candidates” who were a threat to Hungary, insisting that they intended to turn Hungary into an “immigrant country”.

“Karácsony was lobbying Soros’s reliable allies even in Brussels,” Fidesz said in a statement. The party said Karácsony was lobbying politicians “who have in the past criticised Hungary’s migration policy and border fence and urged the implementation of the quota scheme”. Fidesz said the politicians in question “see Karácsony and the opposition as allies” in their goals.

March 22, 2018

PM candidate Karácsony: Hungarian government ‘ is a crime syndicate run by Orbán’

The prime ministerial candidate of the opposition Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance has called on the government to act as a caretaker administration until the April 8 general election and desist from distributing public funding.

“The government is a moral failure,” Gergely Karácsony told a press conference on Wednesday. “Its members no longer have a place in Hungarian public life.”

He insisted government members were embroiled in “murky affairs” and a new government would be tasked with calling them to account.

He called on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán not only to remove Lajos Kósa, a minister without portfolio in charge of the government’s Modern Cities scheme, from the cabinet, but to withdraw his parliamentary mandate as a Fidesz lawmaker.

Karácsony reacted to a report of alleged corruption linked to Kósa, who “handled 4.3 billion euros on behalf of a mysterious entity”.

Kósa on Tuesday denied allegations, labelling the report “fake news”.

Karácsony insisted that “a person who handles billions but cannot provide a sound explanation for the money’s origins should not be a candidate.”

He further cited reports by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) on suspected corruption cases implicating Government Office Chief János Lázár and National Bank Governor György Matolcsy in luxury property deals and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén in wildlife hunting in Sweden.

“What we today call a government in Hungary is in fact a crime syndicate run by Viktor Orbán. Members of the gang include the prime minister’s relatives and closest confidants,” Karácsony said.

The Párbeszéd politician noted that he had asked former ombudsman Jenő Kaltenbach to lead the anti-fraud prosecution the Socialist-Párbeszéd government would set up if voted into power next month. The authority would be in charge of revealing misappropriation of public money and launching legal procedures, he said.

Asked about a press report dismissing the possibility of election cooperation with the LMP party, Karácsony said that the Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance “firmly believes in talks” which he confirmed were ongoing. He said an agreement had to be reached as soon as possible, adding that the alliance may withdraw its candidates in a couple of constituencies in favour of LMP.

Karácsony said Socialist-Párbeszéd was open to talks with Jobbik but they had so far rejected their overtures.

Ruling Fidesz in response said that Karácsony was “a man of George Soros” as his shadow cabinet is also composed of “Soros’s men”.

If elected to power, Socialist-Párbeszéd would dismantle the border fence and allow the resettlement of migrants to Hungary’s territory implementing the EU’s quota scheme, the party said in a statement, adding that they would this way make the country financially bankrupt.

featured image: MTI

March 15, 2018

Orbán: The achievements of the past 8 years are at risk in the April election

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gave warning in an interview to local broadcaster in the east of the country on Monday that his Fidesz government’s achievements over the past eight years were at risk in the upcoming general election.

Orbán told Nyíregyháza Television that “the joint success of the government and the people” must be protected on April 8.

He said Hungarians were traditionally a pessimistic people, “but we are now overcoming this”.

“We never believed we could have our own future and we always confronted big plans with: ‘we’ll believe when we see it’. This mentality has changed since 2010 thanks to hard work … Hungarians see the country is developing,” he said.

Orbán pointed to improving macroeconomic and budget data, adding that construction, the development of industrial parks, sports halls, the renewal of cities, and home-building opportunities were clear to see.

Surveys show that Hungary is among the few countries in Europe today where people feel that their children will lead better lives than their parents.

“This is a spiritual turning point, namely building confidence for the future, which is what I regard as the most important endeavour and this is what we have been doing in the past eight years,” Orbán said.

“That Hungarians are expecting something in the future is down to our common successes … this must be protected and this is what is at stake,” he said.

featured image: MTI

March 13, 2018

Election 2018 – Socialist-Párbeszéd PM candidate Karácsony vows to divert EU funds to health care, education

If voted into power in April, the Socialist-Párbeszéd government would halt payouts of European Union funds and reallocate them to areas like health care, education or the social safety net, Gergely Karácsony, PM candidate of the two parties, said on Monday.

The reason why the government ruled on the tenders for all EU funds available for the current funding cycle quicker than any other member state was because — fearing an election loss — it wanted to “fill the pockets of its buddies”, Karácsony told a news conference.

He said spending what amounts to approximately 900,000 forints (EUR 2,900) per citizen responsibly “would definitely require more time”.

Karácsony said it was a positive that funding totalling 9,000 billion forints had yet to be paid out. Next month, he said, voters would have a chance to give the Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance a mandate to spend that money “on better causes” than the current government has.

In addition to reallocating the remaining EU funds, the next government will set up an anti-corruption agency and reclaim in court EU monies “that have been used to increase private wealth”, the PM candidate said.

featured image: MTI

March 12, 2018

Election 2018 – Jobbik promises independent environment portfolio

Jobbik has vowed to set up an independent environment portfolio and strengthen authorities dealing with environmental protection if elected in April.

Outlining his party’s environmental policy plans on Monday, Jobbik lawmaker Lajos Kepli said that if voted into power, a Jobbik government would establish a ministry of natural resources which would consolidate all environment-related competencies under one roof.

The ministry would also deal with ground, water and air protection and their sustainable usage, he added.

Kepli said the government had been watering down environmental protection since 2010. Spending on the pollution measures has been reduced, and the list of regulated areas is getting shorter. He said environment authorities had been reduced to “permit-issuing departments” responsible for greenlighting the implementation of investment projects under government pressure.

He named waste management, air quality and energy as areas that would be better managed under a Jobbik government.

featured image: keplilajos.jobbik.hu

March 12, 2018

Election 2018 – Election committee registers another five national lists

The National Election Committee (NVB) registered the national lists of another five parties for the April 8 general election on Friday, bringing the total number of registered party lists to 18.

The NVB registered the national lists of the Democratic Party for the Welfare of European Christian Romas, the Compass Party, the Common Denominator 2018, the Hungarian Life and Justice Party and the Party for a Fit and Healthy Hungary.

Under Hungary’s election rules, only parties that field at least 27 candidates in at least nine counties and the capital can put together a national list.

Parties may nominate a maximum of three times as many candidates on their national lists as the number of parliamentary seats that can be won from the votes casts for national lists, which is 93.

The NVB is to review the application of further 12 parties until the deadline on Saturday evening.

featured image: alfahir.hu

March 10, 2018

Vona: Jobbik to address ‘Hungary’s real problems’

Jobbik wants to deal with real problems by wiping out corruption, restoring democracy, boosting wages and ensuring the country’s security, Gábor Vona, the party’s leader said on Thursday.

“We are the strongest opposition party; we can replace Fidesz,” Vona told a public forum in Makó, in southern Hungary, in which the party’s local politicians attended alongside István Rója of the Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance who is contesting the Hódmezővásárhely-Makó constituency in the April 8 general election.

Vona asked the audience of about one hundred people to vote for Jobbik’s candidate Attila Kiss. “A vote for any other is a waste.”

Jobbik, he said, did not want to join forces with any party that had been involved in “the last 28 years of ruination”.

He added that after the election, however, Jobbik would be willing to negotiate with the green LMP party.

featured image: MTI

March 9, 2018

Election 2018 – Socialist-Párbeszéd PM candidate promises equal wages to men and women

Opposition Socialist-Párbeszéd prime ministerial candidate Gergely Karácsony promised on Thursday to get the Istanbul Convention ratified and guarantee equal wages for men and women if he wins the upcoming general election.

Referring to international women’s day being celebrated on Thursday, he said “the real women’s day in Hungary will be April 8” when voters go to the polls and can express their wish for the equal treatment of men and women in Hungary.

If Socialist-Párbeszéd form the next government, they will introduce effective measures against domestic violence, improve infant and kindergarten care, and increase the wages of women working in creches, he said. Families will get a chance to decide how many children they want and women will not have to choose between a family and a career, he added.

Socialist board member Zita Gurmai said that as long as Viktor Orbán remained as Hungary’s prime minister, the issue of equal opportunities for women would not progress.

“Some ruling party politicians in this country take the liberty of hurting women”, she said, adding that poverty was prevalent among workers and the number of women forced to live in poverty was growing. “It’s bad to be female, poor and a democrat in Hungary today,” she added.

In government, Socialist-Párbeszéd would introduce equal wages for men and women in the constitution, she said.

Green opposition LMP pledged to help more women participate in parliament and public life. Bernadett Szél, the party’s prime ministerial candidate, also vowed to introduce equal pay and schemes that help women raising children return to work.

Women account for only 10 percent of parliamentary lawmakers while they make up for 52 percent of society, she noted. Society with women in more roles tends to be more balanced, she said.

The Liberals, allied to Socialist-Párbeszéd, stated the same goals as the other two opposition forces in respect of women.

March 9, 2018

Fidesz group leader: Opposition victory would lead to early elections

Hungary’s opposition parties themselves are unsure that they would be capable of governing the country together, so their victory in April would lead to early elections within a matter of months, ruling Fidesz’s parliamentary group leader said on Thursday.

At stake in the April 8 election is whether Hungary’s stability can be preserved through the re-election of the Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance or whether “stability will be replaced by chaos” with the election of a new government, Gergely Gulyás told an event organised by the Nézőpont Institute.

Hungarian government stability over the past eight years have given the country a “scientifically and economically demonstrable” competitive advantage, Gulyás said.

But this would not be the case if the opposition came to power, he said, arguing that not even those parties themselves were claiming that they would be capable of governing the country together.

Hungary ranked second behind Germany in terms of the performances last year of 11 central European governments released by Nézőpont. The Czech Republic was ranked third. Hungary was ranked first in the category of political stability.

Nézőpont’s study also confirms that a disciplined economic policy leads to stability, Gulyás said.

“Once the Germans, too, put aside the doctrines of their own left-liberal media, they will have to realise that the Visegrád countries are their most important economic allies within the European Union, and these are also the countries with the best outlooks for economic growth,” Gulyás said.

featured image: MTI

March 8, 2018

Orbán: Either vote for national government or Soros’s people

viktor orbán talk Veszprém prime minister

Hungary’s voters have two options, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in an interview to local broadcaster Miskolc TV on Thursday. Either it can vote in a national government or Soros’s people will form one.

The recent elections in Europe and the upcoming Italian one revolves around a single issue, namely migration. This is also the case in Hungary, so this key issue “deserves thoughtful consideration”, he said.

He said migrants inevitably ended up in big cities like Miskolc and formed ghettos there, where no-go zones and parallel societies emerged with all the difficulties of coexistence that arise in such circumstances.

“You have to decide on something that is a one-way street; if you’re wrong, you can’t fix it…” he said

Referring to the recent by-election in the southern town of Hódmezővásárhely, where the combined opposition won in an upset for the ruling Fidesz party, the prime minister said there was no reason to be afraid but it was necessary to understand what the result signified. He said it was a “wake-up call”.

“For the sake of the future, we need to work together…” he said.

Political pacts had been concluded quietly in the background, he said. These would continue and the people party to them would promote Brussels’s policies based on the “Soros Plan”, he insisted.

“In the end, there are two options: a pro-immigration candidate or one opposed to it,” he added.

On the topic of the role of EU funds, Orbán said he always found it interesting “that when the country finally gets its act together, it turns out that it’s not thanks to the country’s efforts but down to EU funds.”

He said EU resources amounted 4 billion euros each year, while the country’s output was over 110 billion. The budget had been designed to take up EU funding and make the best use of it, the PM said.

Hungary’s progress “is due to the work of Hungarian people,” he said. “In the past 3.6 million had jobs and now 4.4 million work, and while there were 1.8 million taxpayers in the past now there are 4.4 million. This success belongs to us…” he said.

Orbán said the EU had no legal basis for linking funding to migrant quotas and the seven-year EU budget is adopted with a unanimous vote. He vowed to fight Brussels on this point.

The prime minister said he had visited the local football stadium, which he called the city’s heartland.

He noted the government’s Modern Cities investment scheme, saying this programme was the first he could recollect that focused on life in Hungary’s big rural cities. He added that in 2010 the city’s jobless rate had been stuck at 12 percent and now it was below 5 percent.

March 2, 2018

Election 2018 – Lázár: Government to be formed either by Orbán or Soros’s followers

After the April 8 parliamentary elections, the new government will be formed either by current Prime Minister Viktor Orbán or the followers of billionaire George Soros, the government office chief said on Thursday.

At stake in the elections is “whether we can protect the country from migration” or not, János Lázár said at his regular press briefing.

The ruling alliance of Fidesz-KDNP has done everything it could in recent years to protect the country and represent the national interest by, for instance, building a fence on the border. The prime minister and Fidesz are protecting Hungarian sovereignty in the most credible way, he said.

Commenting on the recent victory of an independent candidate supported by the opposition parties at the local election in Hódmezővásárhely, he said the era of competing was over and an era of cooperation would follow.

The local Fidesz group is ready to participate in efforts to build the city, said Lázár, who is also an MP representing the region and a former mayor of the town near the southern border of Hungary.

In response to a question, he said he had never abandoned a fight and would continue his efforts to win voters’ confidence as an individual candidate in the general election. He said his message to opponents was: “There will be more János Lázár, not less.”

In response to a question querying whether he would change the ruling parties’ campaign communication in the light of the results in Hódmezővásárhely, he said he would not.

Commenting on public lighting projects recently reviewed by the European Commission and the European Anti-Fraud Office OLAF, he said the latter had completed its review and had sent its findings to the government and the public prosecutor’s office. The cabinet has responded to the comments and the development ministry’s managing body has refuted every item on the OLAF list, he said. The European Commission has not found Hungary at fault so far, he said, adding that Brussels will submit questions and Hungary will respond to them within the specified deadline.

Referring to a recent attack on the headquarters of the Hungarian Cultural Federation in Transcarpathia (KMKSz) in Uzhhorod (Ungvár), Lázár said

the Hungarian government will not tolerate the intimidation of a single ethnic Hungarian in Transcarpathia.

He confirmed that the cabinet had decided to pay the cost of repairing the damage. He also said the government was concerned because this was the second serious attack against ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine in the past month.

Commenting on the extreme cold weather, he said the utilisation of homeless shelters is at around 90 percent and Hungary’s gas reserves are sufficient even if the cold weather continues. There is around 2.3 billion cubic metres of natural gas in the reserves which is sufficient for up to 100 days.

In response to a question about plans to build a tennis stadium on Margaret Island, he said the government would not support building on the island based on the current plans, even if this meant not holding the world championships in 2019. The government will not allow Margaret Island “to be sacrificed”, he added.

featured image: MTI

March 2, 2018

Elections 2018 – Opposition parties promise big education spending increases

class classroom children osztály gyerekek crafts creative kreatív

Education has become a key issue ahead of the April 8 general election, and opposition parties are upping the ante on related spending.

The green opposition LMP’s prime ministerial candidate Bernadett Szél said on Thursday “the future lies in education” and promised to spend every fifth forint on education.

“The difference between ruling Fidesz and LMP is that the current ruling party steals every fifth forint, whereas LMP will recoup the stolen money and invest it in education,” she told a press conference.

She said Hungary’s Fidesz government had harmed education more than any other, reflected by the deterioration in Hungary’s PISA results.

Centralisation has proved to be failure, she added, referring to the government’s policy of taking over the key functions of running schools from the local authorities.

LMP co-chair Ákos Hadházy said European Union funding for education in Hungary was in the range of 100 billion forints (EUR 320m), but much of this money, he insisted, had been stolen, while poor curriculums and textbooks were the result.

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) promised to increase teachers’ wages by 15 percent on average in the event of winning power. “Young teachers at the start of their career will get a 30 percent increase” and teachers of people with disabilities or with a disadvantaged background would get 20 percent more than their current pay, DK leader Ferenc Gyurcsány told a press conference on Thursday. The former PM also promised to reform the entire system of public education and higher education.

featured image: www.facebook.com/budapestschool

March 2, 2018

Századvég Institute poll: Fidesz keeps strong lead

Hungary’s ruling parties maintained their lead over the opposition parties, with 53 percent of decided voters in favour of the Fidesz alliance with the Christian Democrats, according to a fresh poll by the Századvég Institute.

Taking the electorate as a whole, 36 percent of the vote would go to the Fidesz-led alliance, Századvég said.

If the election were held this Sunday, 8 percent of all voters and 14 percent of decided voters would choose Jobbik, according to the poll.

The leftist opposition Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance would receive 8 percent of all votes and 11 percent of the decided vote, the think-tank said.

The green opposition LMP party would capture 7 percent of all votes and 8 percent of committed voters. The leftist Democratic Coalition, led by former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány, was preferred by 5 percent of all voters and 6 percent of decided voters.

Altogether 30 percent of respondents were undecided, Századvég said.

Századvég conducted its phone poll of 1,000 randomly chosen adults between Feb. 26 and 28.

featured image: MTI

March 1, 2018

Orbán to top ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat national list

Party leader Viktor Orbán, the prime minister, tops the national list of the allied ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat (KDNP) alliance for the April 8 parliamentary election, according to the list released on Wednesday evening.

Orbán is followed by Zsolt Semjén, the leader of the Christian Democrats and deputy prime minister.

Third on the 279-member list is House Speaker László Kövér, followed by Fidesz deputy leader Katalin Novák, Economy Minister Mihály Varga, Fidesz’s deputy leader and parliamentary group leader Gergely Gulyás, as well as Fidesz deputy leaders Gábor Kubatov and Szilárd Németh, Human Resources Minister Zoltán Balog and KDNP group leader Péter Harrach.

Candidates listed from the 11th place on include the leaders of organisations working in alliance with Fidesz: Sándor Lezsák, István Jakab, Balázs Győrffy, Béla Turi-Kovács, Kristóf Szatmáry, László Böröcz and Florián Farkas.

Next on the list is Márta Mátrai, First Officer of the National Assembly, placed 18th, followed by Zsolt Németh, the chairman of parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

The list ranks parliamentary state secretary János Főnagy 21st and Deputy House Speaker János Latorcai 22nd.

They are followed by Government Office Chief János Lázár, Urban Development Minister Lajos Kósa, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Cabinet Office Chief Antal Rogán, Farm Minister Sándor Fazekas, Defence Minister István Simicskó, National Development Minister Miklós Seszták as well as János Süli, minister in charge of the Paks nuclear plant upgrade project.

Hungarian voters are to elect a 199-member parliament on April 8. Fully 106 lawmakers will be elected in individual constituencies, and 93 on national lists.

featured image: MTI

March 1, 2018

Election 2018 – Socialists-Párbeszéd urge opposition cooperation

The allied Socialist and Párbeszéd parties have urged cooperation within the “democratic” opposition in light of the results of Sunday’s interim municipal election in Hódmezővásárhely, in southern Hungary.

The message of the Hódmezővásárhely election, won by an independent with opposition support, is that an able candidate can defeat ruling Fidesz if turnout at the polls is high, Gergely Karácsony, PM candidate of the Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance told a press conference on Monday. He added that “votes must not be divided up” but cast for the candidate with the highest support.

Socialist leader Gyula Molnár referred to the opposition victory in Hódmezővásárhely as a “serious blow” to Fidesz, and voiced concern that the ruling party might “launch a series of ignoble attacks” on cooperating adversaries. Molnár suggested that an agreement concerning jointly supported candidates should be reached before March 15, ahead of the April 8 general election. He said the Socialists have been “ready to give up positions” and cooperate with other parties to facilitate a government change. He also noted that one third of the Socialists were not party members.

Answering questions about possible cooperation with Jobbik, Karácsony said he saw no opportunity for an “organised cooperation” with that party, and added that “it was up to the wisdom of voters to decide which candidate has better chances”. He also said that

the candidate with the highest support “should stand to the left from Fidesz rather than to the right”.

Karácsony added, however, that “Jobbik could also support independent candidates supported by Socialists-Párbeszéd”.

Concerning the LMP party, Karácsony said that “LMP supporters could soon start demonstrating at LMP’s headquarters” if their party is reluctant to cooperate with other parties. He went on to say that “the same applies to other small parties” and added that his alliance was open to join forces with them, too. LMP has some candidates “who could represent the whole of the democratic opposition with the highest chances to win”.

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February 26, 2018

Interim elections held in two cities, village

Interim elections were held in two cities (Hódmezővásárhely and Kiskunhalas) and a village (Rózsafa) in Hungary on Sunday.

In the city of Hódmezővásárhely, in south-eastern Hungary, independent candidate Márki-Zay won the local election for mayor with 57.49 percent of the votes ahead of Zoltán Hegedűs, of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance, the deputy mayor of the city, who garnered 41.63 percent, the election site valasztas.hu said on Sunday evening. In the third place came in Gyula Hernádi, an independent, with 0.88 percent.

Turnout was 62.45 percent.

The ballot was held to replace István Almási, of Fidesz-KDNP, who died in November last year. Read more details HERE.

In Kiskunhalas, in southern Hungary, a ballot was held to replace local government lawmaker Lászlóné Aradszky, of Fidesz-KDNP, who died in October last year. The ballot was won by György Juhász, of Fidesz-KDNP, with 68.07 percent, ahead of independent Ferenc Fejes receiving 30.88 percent. Turnout was over 28 percent.

In Rózsafa, in southern Hungary, a ballot was held to elect a mayor and local government officials. Results will be released at a later time.

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Photo: MTI

February 26, 2018

Márki-Zay, opposition hail large turnout at Hódmezővásárhely election – UPDATE

Péter Márki-Zay, newly elected mayor of Hódmezővásárhely, in south-eastern Hungary, and opposition parties hailed the over-62 percent turnout at Sunday’s interim election in the city.

Speaking to a press conference after the election in which he snatched victory from the ruling Fidesz-Christian-Democrat alliance as an independent candidate, Márki-Zay thanked all voters who cast a ballot, regardless of whom they supported.

“The election showed that this is still a democratic country, people expressed their opinion clearly today,” he said.

Cabinet office chief János Lázár of Fidesz, whose constituency is in the city, congratulated Márki-Zay on the win at a separate press conference after the vote. “We will continue to work for Hódmezővásárhely as we did in the past 27 years, and will put the welfare of the city first,” Lázár said and thanked all those who cast their ballots. In a statement evaluating the interim elections over the weekend, Fidesz said that the party won “with a sweeping majority” 14 of the 17 interim local elections held in the past year.

The opposition parties hailed Márki-Zay’s election, whom all opposition parties had supported in the city. Gergely Karácsony, prime minister candidate of the Socialist-Párbeszéd coalition, thanked local parties and politicians for “making the miracle happen instead of waiting for it.” They gave hope to all who want change at the upcoming general election, he said.

Opposition Jobbik leader Gábor Vona, Democratic Coalition leader Ferenc Gyurcsány and the Együtt party all welcomed the results as a “turning point” ahead of the April 8 general election.

Márki-Zay won the local election for mayor with 57.49 percent of the votes ahead of Zoltán Hegedűs, of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance, who garnered 41.63 percent, the election site valasztas.hu said on Sunday evening. In the third place came in Gyula Hernádi, an independent, with 0.88 percent. Turnout was 62.45 percent.

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Jobbik: The will of the people prevails in Hungary

As Jobbik statement said, the town of Hódmezővásárhely has just proven that the people cannot be abolished, the government can be ousted and Viktor Orbán can be defeated!

The citizens of Fidesz’ formerly impregnable stronghold have just given a slap in the face to the utterly corrupt and arrogant governing parties, showing their politicians that no matter what dishonest means they employ to hold on to their power, the people have finally had enough of all the theft, subjugation, brainwashing, intimidation and blackmail.

The people who were still distressed this morning have just been given a new hope that if they turn out at the ballots in the sufficient numbers and vote for the best opposition candidate in their constituency, Fidesz will have no chance on 8 April. We win, you gain!

Socialists

The Socialists and Párbeszéd urged cooperation within the “democratic” opposition in light of the results of Sunday’s election.

The message of the Hódmezővásárhely election is that a good candidate can defeat Fidesz with a high turnout, Karácsony said.

Socialist leader Gyula Molnár said the result was a “serious blow” to Fidesz, adding his concern that Fidesz may start a dirty tricks campaign. He urged an agreement on joint candidates to be reached before March 15, ahead of the April 8 general election.

PM candidate Karácsony

Asked about possible cooperation with Jobbik party, Karácsony said he ruled out “organised cooperation” with the strongest opposition party, adding that “it is up to the wisdom of voters to decide which candidate has the better chance”. He added, however, that “Jobbik could also support independent candidates supported by Socialists-Parbeszed”.

Democratic Coalition

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) leader Ferenc Gyurcsány also urged an agreement with green opposition LMP on coordinating their candidates in individual constituencies.

He did not make it clear whether he would rule out cooperation with Jobbik.

Referring to the mayoral election in Hódmezővásárhely, he said the so-called democratic opposition should by now realise there was no room on the opposition side for competing against each other in individual constituencies. With a single candidate in every constituency, the opposition will be the strongest contenders, he added. Gyurcsány said he had instructed executive chair Csaba Molnár to start official talks with LMP.

LMP

LMP co-leader Akos Hadhazy, speaking at a press conference on a different subject, confirmed press reports that his party had mandated a delegation to negotiate election cooperation with the Socialists and Jobbik. He said his party was ready to cooperate and even to withdraw candidates “if there is a good and creditable nominee”.

Liberals

Gabor Fodor, the leader of the Liberal Party, said the successful result for the opposition sent a clear message that broad cooperation was needed on the “democratic” opposition side. Fodor told a news conference that the opposition parties should take the necessary steps towards working together, namely they should agree on a joint candidate for prime minister and a national list. The Liberals have joined the Socialists and Parbeszed alliance and have thereby fulfilled the will of the electorate. The Democratic Coalition, LMP and the Egyutt must answer the question of why they are not doing the same, he said.

February 26, 2018

Election 2018 – DK vows cuts in utility prices

The Democratic Coalition (DK) will grant two cubic metres of water, 15 to 20 cubic metres of natural gas and 50 KWH electricity free of charge to every household, if it comes to power after the April 8 general election, the leader of the opposition party said on Friday.

DK’s utilities scheme envisages keeping the current monthly utility prices for the average consumption of 15-20 cubic metres of water, 80-100 cubic metres of gas and 200 KWH electricity per household, Ferenc Gyurcsány said, adding that for consumption above those limits much higher prices would apply.

He criticised the government’s utility price cuts for having benefitted large consumers.

Arguing in favour of DK’s proposal, Gyurcsány said that 900,000 people are living in homes without appropriate heating.

Citing statistics by the Hungarian Social Forum, he said that so far 149 people had frozen to death just this winter.

Gyurcsány was asked about the 30 percent average increase in gas prices and the 10-14 percent increase in electricity prices just after his victory in the 2006 election.

He said that at that time oil prices had stood at 140-150 dollars per barrel on the global market for which consumers “had to pay”. At present, however, Hungarians are paying higher amounts than what the world market prices would justify, he said.

Ruling Fidesz responded as saying that the Gyurcsány government had increased threefold the household price of gas and twofold the price of electricity.

If elected into power, “Gyurcsány and his party would reverse utility price cut measures and put Hungarian families again at the mercy of foreign energy companies,” the party said in a statement.

featured image: MTI

February 23, 2018