municipal elections 2019

Local elections – Sneider: Jobbik ‘back on track’

Tamás Sneider, leader of Hungary’s opposition conservative Jobbik, has hailed his party’s performance in the local elections as its best ever showing in a local ballot, saying that after a difficult period Jobbik was “back on track”.

By winning as many local council seats as it has, Jobbik has demonstrated its resilience, Sneider told a press conference late on Sunday.

He said the local election proved that the government’s “arrogance” could be combatted and that it was worth voting against ruling Fidesz.

Sneider congratulated Gergely Karácsony, the joint opposition candidate for Budapest mayor, on his election victory and expressed hope that Budapest would become a “greener and politically more peaceful” city in the future.

He also congratulated his party’s mayoral candidates who won their respective races in Eger, Dunaújvaros, Szentes, Jászbereny, Encs, Ózd, Tapolca and Törökszentmiklós.

Jobbik deputy leader János Stummer said

Fidesz was “past the height of its power” and had “started to go downhill”.

October 14, 2019

Local elections – Results in major Hungarian cities

Among others, Péter Márki-Zay has been reelected as the mayor of Hódmezővásárhely with all the votes counted, according to the National Election Office.

László Botka, reelected for the fifth time as the mayor of the city of Szeged in Sunday’s local elections — this time as a joint opposition candidate — said the community of the southern Hungarian city, the country’s third biggest, were the real winners.

Botka said he did not consider running the city to be a political task, adding that he intended to serve all the residents of Szeged.

Everyone should feel at home in the city, the Socialist politician added.

He said his first task would be to consult with all municipal representatives on how they conceive of working together.

Ruling Fidesz’s László Papp attributed his reelection as the mayor of eastern Hungary’s Debrecen on Sunday to “the serious, diligent work carried out over the past five years”.

“Another breakthrough victory has been achieved,” the mayor of Hungary’s second biggest city said, noting that Fidesz’s candidates had also won in all of the city’s individual electoral districts.

He named economic growth and the maintenance of the influx of young people as his main goals for the next five years.

Papp had captured 61.84 percent of the vote with 97.08 percent of the votes counted.

Pál Veres, the newly elected opposition mayor of north-eastern Hungary’s Miskolc, on Sunday vowed to work together with “everyone who represents the interests of the city”.

“Miskolc has won,” Veres, who won 55 percent of the vote in Hungary’s fourth largest city, declared in his victory speech.

He said his campaign had been honest and committed to “working with all of Miskolc’s residents”.

“We want to build a new, beautiful city, to create a great Miskolc,” Veres said, adding that this would require the cooperation of all of the city’s residents.

Fidesz’ scandalous Borkai was re-elected as mayor of Győr. Candidates have garnered the following percentage of votes with 100 percent of the votes counted, the National Election Office reported:

Zsolt Borkai (FIDESZ-CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS) – 44.33 percent (19 312 votes)
Tímea Glazer (DK-MOMENTUM-MSZP-JOBBIK-LMP) – 42.86 percent (18,671 votes)
László Kovács (Civilians for Gyor) – 8.44 percent (3,677 votes)
Jenő Balla (Unity for Gyor Assoc) – 4.37 percent (1,906 votes)

October 14, 2019

Local elections – Orbán: Fidesz-KDNP still Hungary’s strongest force

The results of Sunday’s local elections show that the ruling Fidesz alliance with the Christian Democrats is still Hungary’s strongest force, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at Fidesz’s campaign HQ.

Orbán said the election campaign had been “a tough, big and open political battle” as should be the case in a democracy based on a competition between parties.

He said that for the past nine years, the force representing the governing majority had taken the helm of Budapest.

“But today residents of the capital have decided that something else comes next,” he added.

“We’ll take this into consideration and, in the interests of the country and the people who live in Budapest, are ready to work together,” Orbán said.

Orbán thanked voters in rural Hungary for putting their trust in the ruling party. “They can count on us in the future, too.”

October 14, 2019

Local elections – Karácsony hails ‘historic victory’ in Budapest

A historic victory has taken place in Budapest, Gergely Karácsony said after winning the Budapest municipal election on Sunday.

“This victory is about a green and free Budapest,” the joint opposition candidate for the capital’s mayor said.

Karácsony said October 14 would mark the start of a new era for Hungary in its quest to regain its freedom.

He said the victory was not his or the opposition parties’ but that of Budapesters who were fighting to win back the capital.

local elections winner — Photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltán

He noted that outgoing mayor István Tarlós had phoned to congratulate him, and Karácsony said he had thanked Tarlós for his work in office to date.

Karácsony pledged to put relations between the capital and the government on a new footing. He added that he would not be preparing for war but for even-handed cooperation with the Hungarian government.

Tarlós, who was greeted with a standing ovation at Fidesz’s election headquarters on the banks of the Danube, thanked the “entire community” of Budapesters who had voted for him, as well as the capital and its third district for the years he had served as their mayor.

“At a national level, the result is nice, but we need to pause to think about Budapest,” he said, commenting on the results of the election.

“There’s nothing to say; this is how Budapest voted today,” Tarlós said. “The capital elected Gergely Karácsony and from midnight he’ll be Budapest’s mayor.”

“Thank you for the opportunity to be among you,” the outgoing mayor said, adding that he would “not forget” the 29-30 years he had spent as part of Budapest’s leadership.

“At 70 years of age, these things happen, but it’ll get better,” Tarlós concluded.

October 13, 2019

Local elections – Results in county seat and major city mayoral races with 54.08 pc of votes counted

Mayoral candidates in county seats and major cities have garnered the following percentage of votes with 54.08 percent of all votes counted nationwide, the National Election Office reported:

Győr (47.92 percent of votes counted)

1. Zsolt Borkai (FIDESZ-CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS) – 44.06 percent (8,873 votes)

2. Timea Glazer (DK-MOMENTUM-MSZP-JOBBIK-LMP) – 43.38 percent (8,736 votes)

3. László Kovacs (Civilians for Gyor) – 8.31 percent (1,673 votes)

Hódmezővásárhely (94.12 percent of votes counted)

1. Dr. Peter Marki-Zay (EVERYONE’S HUNGARY – Assoc. for a Clean Hodmezovasarhely) – 57.35 percent (12,579 votes)

2. Dr. Istvan Grezsa (Independent) – 42.65 percent (9,356 votes)

Pécs (75.71 percent of votes counted)

1. Attila Peterffy (Everyone for Pecs Association) – 53.08 percent (20,209 votes)

2. Attila Vari (FIDESZ-CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS-OPE) – 41.29 percent (15 720 votes)

3. Dr. Jozsef Kobor (LMP) – 3.59 percent (1368 votes)

Szeged (70.37 percent of votes counted)

1. Dr. Laszlo Botka (Unity for Szeged Association) – 60.36 percent (27,764 votes)

2. Pal Nemesi (Independent) – 36.50 percent (16,788 votes)

3. Dr. Balint Szabo (Independent) – 1.82 percent (836 votes)

Debrecen (78.83 percent of votes counted)

1. Dr. Laszlo Papp (FIDESZ-CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS) – 62.04 percent (26 891 votes)

2. Zoltan Varga (DK-MSZP-PARBESZED-SZOLIDARITY MOVEMENT) – 21.15 percent (9169 votes)

3. Csanad Abel Koszeghy (MOMENTUM-JOBBIK-LMP) – 12.15 percent (5265 votes)

Dunaújváros (80.85 percent of votes counted)

1. Tamas Pinter (GO DUNAUJVAROS! ASSOC) – 56.28 percent (8027 votes)

2. Gabor Cserna (FIDESZ-CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS) – 41.02 percent (5851 votes)

3. Tibor Farsang (Mi Hazank-MIEP-FKGP) – 2.70 percent (385 votes)

Székesfehérvár (57.61 percent of votes counted)

1. Dr. Andras Cser-Palkovics (FIDESZ) – 60.93 percent (12,366 votes)

2. Dr. Roland Marton (DK-JOBBIK-LMP-MINDENKI MAGYARORSZÁGA-MOMENTUM-MSZP-PÁRBESZÉD) – 33.28 percent (6,754 votes)

3. Laszlo Juhasz (ANSWER INDEPENDENT CIVILIANS) – 4,17 percent (847 votes)

Sopron (86 percent of votes counted)

1. Dr. Ciprian Farkas (FIDESZ-CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS) – 56.84 percent (10,349 votes)

2. Dr. Norbert Varga (Independent) – 38.06 percent (6930 votes)

3. Imre Gibicsár (PARBESZED) – 5.10 percent (928 votes)

October 13, 2019

Results for Budapest mayor with 92.19 pc of votes counted

Candidates for Budapest mayor have garnered the following percentage of votes with 92.19 percent of all votes counted, the National Election Office reported:

1. Gergely Karácsony (MOMENTUM-DK-MSZP-PARBESZED-LMP) – 50.62 percent (317,152 votes)

2. István Tarlós (FIDESZ-CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS) – 44.29 percent (277,502 votes)

3. Róbert Puzsér (CITIZENS IN THE CENTRE) – 4.44 percent (27,794 votes)

4. Krisztian Berki (Independent) – 0.66 percent (4,119 votes)

October 13, 2019

Opposition politicians trust in victory amid high turnout

Opposition politicians competing in Sunday’s local elections praised the high turnout and said they trusted that this would translate into a victory for Gergely Karácsony, their joint candidate for Budapest mayor.

The opposition Párbeszéd party’s spokesman, Richárd Barabás, welcomed the high turnout in a statement, saying that opposition cooperation and their innovative campaign technologies would bring about their desired outcome.

He also said that scandals linked to the ruling Fidesz party last week had undermined “the political and moral legitimacy of the government”.

Barabás said the country and local communities would benefit if the opposition had a breakthrough in several localities, demonstrating that there was an alternative to Fidesz’s “corrupt and immoral system”.

Ágnes Kunhalmi, the head of the Socialist Party board, also welcomed the high turnout in a statement, adding, however, that it was hard to predict who would benefit.

She noted that the high turnout in last year’s general election had favoured the opposition in Budapest and Fidesz outside it.

She said the Socialists had developed considerably in the recent past and the opposition in general had done much to mobilise their voters, adding that she trusted the high participation rate would favour the opposition.

Zsolt Greczy, the Democratic Coalition spokesman, also welcomed the high turnout, adding that DK was “cautiously optimistic” that the local elections would mark a turning point in favour of the opposition.

October 13, 2019

Local elections – Polling stations close nationwide

Polling stations in Hungary’s 2019 local elections closed at 7pm on Sunday.

The country’s electorate, some 8.025 million voters, had the opportunity to cast their ballots at 10,278 municipal and 2,188 ethnic minority polls in 3,177 cities, towns and villages since 6am.

Voters still waiting in line to cast their ballot may still vote.

After the vote, polling committees will open the boxes and count the votes, including the portable boxes with the votes of invalid or disabled people who had indicated their wish to vote at home. Votes are totted up according to both party lists and individual candidates.

The votes will be counted at least twice and results forwarded to the local election office.

The election office is expected to publish the preliminary results of the election on Monday, although it will be clear by midnight how the various parties and candidates will have performed.

In Hungary’s eighth local ballot since the change in political system in 1990, local mayors, municipal assembly and minority representatives in public-administrative districts, as well as the mayor of Budapest and its districts, are being elected to a five-year term.

October 13, 2019

Local election – Orbán, party leaders cast ballot

Voters will decide in Sunday’s local elections if their towns and cities have able leaders, the prime minister said on Sunday, after he cast his ballot in Budapest’s 12th district.

Speaking to reporters, Viktor Orbán said he had voted for István Tarlós, incumbent Budapest mayor, and asked the city’s residents to follow suit.

Orbán said the election campaign went “sharply separated” from national politics, with the strongest focus on local candidates in comparison with previous local election campaigns over the past 30 years.

Orbán said that democracy has several legs, one of which is self-government. Besides having a central government, it is just as important that voters give people trusted by the public a mandate to manage affairs close to them, he added.

Asked about Zsolt Borkai, incumbent mayor of Győr, who has recently appeared in video footage in connection with acts of sexual impropriety, Orbán said he supported “the people of Győr” who “are giving their opinion today”.

Opposition party leaders also cast their votes in the local elections on Sunday.

Bertalan Tóth, leader of the Socialist Party, said opposition parties were fighting in an alliance “to oust the local governors of (ruling) Fidesz”. “People now have the opportunity to vote in order to change their lives and build free cities, towns and villages.

The next step is to have a free Hungary,” he said, after casting his ballot in Pécs, in southern Hungary.

Péter Jakab, group leader of nationalist Jobbik, called Sunday’s election a historic chance to defeat ruling Fidesz.

“The ballot is not only about Fidesz, but about Hungary as a whole. Fidesz has built up its two-thirds majority in the local governments and that is where dismantling this majority can begin,” Jakab said in north-eastern Hungary’s Miskolc.

János Kendernay, co-leader of LMP, asked people to cast their votes “to restore Hungary’s integrity and allow serving the public again”, in Budapest.

Klára Dobrev, MEP of the Democratic Coalition (DK), expressed hope in Budapest that villages and towns, as well as EU funds, could be “taken back” from Fidesz.

October 13, 2019

UPATE: Local elections – Turnout 47.20% at 6.30pm

By 6.30pm on Sunday, 47.20 percent of the around 8.025 million eligible voters had cast their ballots in Hungary’s local elections, the National Election Office reported.

A total of 3,787,857 people went to the polls in the first twelve and a half hours, the office said.

Voter participation in Budapest stood at 49.19 percent at 6.30pm.

Five years ago, the last partial turnout figures were released at 5.30pm, with 39.82 percent of voters having cast their ballots by then.

Among the counties, turnout was the largest in western Hungary’s Vas County, at 53.82 percent, and the lowest in eastern Hungary’s Hajdú-Bihar County, at 40.79 percent.

Local mayors, municipal and minority representatives are elected in public-administrative districts, as well as the mayor of Budapest and its districts, in a first-past-the-post, single-round vote.

October 13, 2019

Opposition stages demonstration in Győr against scandalous mayor

Parties of the opposition staged a demonstration in Győr, in western Hungary, on Saturday, against incumbent mayor Zsolt Borkai, who has recently appeared in video footage in connection with acts of sexual impropriety.

Speakers at the event said that the mayor had damaged the city’s reputation.

András Fekete-Győr, head of the Momentum Movement, said that the country was run by a “mafia government” while ruling Fidesz was characterised by “emptiness and a lack of values” in which party Borkai’s behaviour was “more of a norm rather than a mistake”.

He insisted that Győr’s citizens deserve “an honest local council without scandals or corruption”.

György Szilágyi, an MP of conservative Jobbik, voiced his party’s support of the opposition parties’ cooperating before the upcoming municipal elections despite four other Jobbik MP’s quitting that cooperation on October 8, and said that those MPs had “smeared Jobbik’s name”.

He added that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán should have called on Borkai to resign when the footage came to light.

Local Socialist leader Balázs Prollreisz said that Borkai was unworthy of his post and added that “tomorrow will see a fight between the honest and those dishonest”.

Sándor Rónai, MEP of the Democratic Coalition, said that “Borkai will no longer be mayor, even if he should win Sunday’s election”, and added that “his successor will be appointed by the prime minister”.

October 13, 2019

Local elections – Budapest mayor: Voters to choose between ‘firm lead or chaos’

Sunday’s mayoral election in Budapest will decide “whether the city stays in firm hands or falls into chaos”, incumbent mayor István Tarlós told his campaign-closing press conference on Saturday.

Tarlós pledged “peace and calm” to the city if he is reelected, rather than “fights” should his opponent Gergely Karácsony win the post.

Tarlós added that opposition candidate Karácsony had made “promises that cannot be met”.

Tarlós said that he himself had opposed the government “on a number of occasions” but insisted that “a realistic chance for cooperation must be retained” because “there is no government on earth that could cooperate with an instinctively adversarial, always threatening and hateful city management”.

“Five years for Budapest is at stake, rather than the wish dreams of a faltering man,” Tarlós insisted. He said that “there is no point” in refusing cooperation with the government because “that would bring no positive results for the city”.

On the other side, joint mayoral candidate Gergely Karácsony said on Saturday that “parties of the opposition will take Budapest back from those privileged who regard Budapest and public funds as if they owned them”, at a campaign closing event ahead of the municipal election, in the city’s eastern 15th district.

The ballot on Sunday will offer an opportunity “not only to elect new leaders but choose a different policy aimed at cooperation rather than division” he said.

The new leaders, he said, should “do small deeds serving the quiet majority rather than voicing high-sounding phrases”.

Karácsony voiced support for the district’s independent mayor and candidate for the next cycle, Angéla Németh, and urged that voters should elect local deputies from among her supporters.

Commenting on criticism by Karácsony, Tarlós said that “the City Hall has not seen a corruption scandal for the past nine years” and added that all public procurement contracts signed by the city were available on its website. Referring to Karácsony’s pledge that the municipality would not build sports stadiums until each district has a CT scanner, Tarlos said that making sports and health care appear as contradicting sectors equalled “not only hate-mongering but dilettantism, also”.

Concerning his achievements, Tarlós said that the city had completed 170 development projects including construction of the city’s fourth metro line and renovation of the third, construction of 400 kilometres of sewage pipes and 35 kilometres of cycling paths, renovation of 50 squares and extension of tramlines in western Budapest.

Touching upon his plans, Tarlós mentioned renovation of the Chain Bridge, adding an air-conditioning system to trains on the third metro line, renovation of two major squares in the city, as well as other developments.

October 12, 2019

Local elections – Opposition Karácsony: ‘Now it is our turn’

Gergely Karácsony, the opposition’s joint candidate for Budapest mayor, has promised to “turn Budapest into a common home of all of us”, once he wins the local elections scheduled for Sunday.

“Now it is our turn to demonstrate that there is room for fair politics, and we can take Budapest to the 21st century, and keep it in Europe forever”, he told a rally closing the opposition parties’ election campaign in downtown Budapest on Friday evening.

“Now it is within reach for us to retake our city. History has taught us that changes in Hungary always start in Budapest, and now they have begun,” he said.

Karácsony reiterated his promises to impose a new tax on the owners of property worth more than 500 million forints, plant as many trees as the number of babies born in the city annually, plant a large forest on Csepel Island, create a green corridor along the Danube in northern Budapest, help needy pensioners settle their heating bills, and make public transport free for children under age 14. He added that no sports stadiums will be built before each district has a CT scanner of their own.

Antal Csárdi, a lawmaker of green LMP, said that the opposition parties together are now stronger and more united than ruling Fidesz.

Párbeszéd co-leader Tímea Szabó said that over the past nine years the opposition had never stood closer to victory than it does today.

Ágnes Kunhalmi, a Socialist lawmaker, said that Hungary is in a period of transition from an authoritarian regime to an open dictatorship.

“What is at stake in the local elections is to save the country from dictatorial rule,” she said.

András Fekete-Győr, leader of Momentum, said the elections would open a new chapter in the history of Budapest.

Klára Dobrev, EP Vice-President and MEP of the Democratic Coalition, blamed incumbent mayor Istvan Tarlos for having exposed the city to the “oligarchic, mafia-type operation of Fidesz” and given preference to party discipline over the interests of its residents.

October 12, 2019

Local elections – Tarlós: Scandalous Győr mayor unworthy of title

Budapest Mayor István Tarlós, the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrats candidate running to remain in the post, said on Thursday that the current (Fidesz) mayor of Győr in western Hungary Zsolt Borkai had become unworthy of his title.

Referring to reports about Borkai who has appeared in video footage in connection with acts of sexual impropriety in the context of a party aboard a yacht Tarlós told commercial InfoRadio that he was appalled and saddened by the story involving Borkai who is also a Hungarian Olympic gymnast champion.

“It is undefendable, unacceptable and unworthy,” Tarlós said.

Many people have put in a lot of effort to present a good performance and now Borkai “has generated a situation which works against others, to some extent against the whole community,” he added.

“Does he not realise what he should do”, Tarlós asked.

He also said that he had never participated in a more “immoral” campaign involving “circumlocution and a series of grievous lies”.

He condemned those that disturbed an opposition campaign event involving joint opposition candidate for Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony with Róbert Alföldi but described Karácsony’s campaign as an “endless series of absolutely unscrupulous lies”. He said Karácsony had repeatedly made the same misleading promises that are impossible to fulfil, citing the example of introducing a property tax. He also accused Karácsony of not understanding the structure of the budget.

October 11, 2019

Local elections – Most pollsters project Tarlós to remain Budapest mayor

Budapest Mayor István Tarlós is most likely to have the best chance of winning the post for another five years but the victory of joint opposition candidate Gergely Karácsony cannot be ruled out if ruling party voters feel “overly comfortable and the opposition is mobilised”, pollsters said ahead of the local elections on Thursday.

At an event presenting the latest figures by Nézőpont Institute, ZRI Závecz Research, Publicus Institute, Századveg and Medián, several experts were in agreement that the scandals of the recent period could have a big impact on the outcome of the vote, especially in Budapest and Győr.

However, it is impossible to tell whether they would make voters uncertain or mobilise them, they added.

Nézőpont Institute said 49 percent of decided voters supported Tarlós, 43 percent supported Karácsony and 8 percent independent candidate Róbert Puzsér. ZRI-Závecz Research projected 48 percent, 46 percent and 6 percent; Medián 48 percent, 47 percent and 5 percent; Publicus 48 percent, 48 percent and 4 percent; and Századvég 51 percent, 43 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Other independent candidate Krisztian Berki is projected to receive between 0 and 2 percent support.

October 10, 2019

Local elections – Karácsony promises to free Budapest from NER ‘captivity’

The opposition’s joint candidate for Budapest mayor, Gergely Karácsony, promised on Thursday to free Budapest from the “captivity” of ruling Fidesz’s scheme dubbed system of national cooperation (NER) as part of a five-point plan.

He told a press conference held in front of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s office that the capital must be removed from “NER captivity”. He said NER was a fulcrum of corruption, cynicism and deception instead of cooperation across the nation.

Karácsony promised to impose a new tax on the owners of property worth more than 500 million forints. He also said he would ban the Fidesz-linked freesheet Lokál from Budapest and replace it with a free party-neutral paper financed by the local council.

He also promised to introduce strict transparency, making the contracts of local councils and their companies public.

He also vowed to file a lawsuit in connection with the project to revamp Metro 3, saying new trains had been purchased rather than refurbished. He said for the same money, vastly more modern equipment could have been bought and the company commissioned to carry out the revamp had not properly fulfilled the contract.

Also, Karácsony promised to start a social dialogue on drafting a “Budapest constitution” because “Hungary currently does not have a constitution, only a fundamental law which is not respected even by those that approved it”.

László Böröcz, the deputy leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group, said in response to Karacsony’s press conference that while attacking the incumbent mayor of Budapest, Istvan Tarlos, the opposition candidate was “unfit even to run a district”. He accused Karácsony, who is currently the mayor of the Zugló district of Budapest, of trying to conceal Zugló’s real financial situation.

October 10, 2019

Scarlett Johansson: “I did not express my support to Budapest Mayor Tarlós for the upcoming municipal elections”

Two weeks ago, the rightist media turned up with the breaking news that the world-famous Hollywood actress, Scarlett Johansson visited the 71-year-old Lord Mayor, István Tarlós (representing FIDESZ), who runs for reelection this month.

As the Hungarian news portal Bors reported – “The actress expressed a positive opinion about the professionalism of István Tarlós who has been participating in city governance for 30 years; he directed as a district mayor for 16 years; represented Budapest as Lord Mayor for 9 years, and now runs for a new five-year long period.”

The world’s highest-paid actress now shared an announcement with 24.hu; according to which, the situation was not exactly like that:

“I would like to clarify the situation – despite various media reports, I did not express my support to Mayor István Tarlós for the upcoming municipal elections. During our private conversation, I just shared my sincere appreciation for Budapest’s hospitality, beauty and charm. Only citizens of Budapest are authorized to choose the next Mayor, and this is a very important decision. An election is a heroic action everywhere where democracy is in danger. I urge all citizens of Budapest to be brave and act as a hero, and vote according to his/her conscience.”

As 24.hu reports, the case has been commented by István Tarlós as well, who said to Azonnali:

”Nobody had such statement in my acquaintance – me either – that Scarlett Johansson expressed her support to me for the elections. No one has been asked to tell or write such a thing.”

Tarlós also added that he met Johansson in June; and pictures were published later as their publication was permitted only subsequently.

On Tuesday, Deputy Mayor Alexandra Szalay-Bobrovniczky issued an announcement; according to which – “István Tarlós and Scarlett Johansson had a pleasant, half-hour long meeting this summer, in the mayor’s office, where the actress ‘shared her sincere appreciation’ – as it has been reported in her announcement”.

October 9, 2019

Local elections – Orbán: Miskolc should ‘stay on winning side’

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in an interview to the local television of Miskolc, in northern Hungary, said local residents should cooperate if they wish to see investment and development projects in the city.

“Miskolc should try and stay on the winning side,” the prime minister said.

Orbán called on local residents to choose between election candidates based on their personal experience “rather than on my political comments” and vote for able deputies and a suitable mayor.

The prime minister said there was “no need” for him to tour the country before the upcoming municipal elections, adding, however, that he was visiting Miskolc because that city “is a cause of honour”. He voiced support for Zoltán Alakszai, the ruling parties’ candidate for mayor.

Orbán spoke highly of the achievements of Ákos Kriza, Miskolc’s outgoing mayor, who he said “has done a fantastic job”. “

Kriza’s legacy should not be destroyed; let us not allow this city to become an opposition stronghold, and the achievements of previous years devastated by political fights,” he said.

Under Kriza’s leadership the city has seen job-creating investments, while Miskolc has become “twice as safe” as before, Orbán said. If the mayor of Miskolc “is somebody I can cooperate with we will certainly complete the projects that will make the city not only safe but beautiful”, the prime minister said, adding that the urban development plans were “mostly ready”.

Orbán suggested that local residents should “fight for the city” rather than against the government and vote for a mayor willing to “cooperate with the government in the city’s interest”.

Should a candidate of the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) win the mayor post, they will “necessarily be an adversary to the government”, Orbán insisted, arguing that DK’s logic was to “fight a large political battle rather than focus on local affairs, developments, or promoting the interests of locals”.

“Each vote counts and the city’s future is in the hands of local residents,” Orbán said.

GS Yuasa inaugurates EV battery plant in Miskolc

October 8, 2019