municipal elections in Hungary 2024

Another fight round between the biggest opposition parties before the 2024 elections?

Klára Dobrev wants to take back the state (Copy)

The opposition Momentum party’s refusal to take part in primary elections in the voting districts of Győr, Szigetszentmiklós and Dunakeszi — where no agreement has been reached on a joint candidate — jeopardises the victory of the opposition, László Varju, an MP of the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK), told a press conference on Saturday.

Varju called on Momentum not to boycott the primaries and let voters decide on the joint opposition candidates in the city and towns in question.

In 2019, Fidesz was defeated in Budapest and a number of other cities precisely because the opposition fielded joints candidates everywhere, Varju said.

Read also:

  • Biggest opposition party calls on Calvinist Bishop Balog to resign – Read more HERE
  • Fidesz: Opposition Momentum MEPs working to prevent Hungary from receiving EU funds

‘Financial irregularities’ around Budapest’s iconic Chain Bridge? – UPDATED

Hungary-Budapest-Chain-Bridge

Péter Kovács, a representative of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz in the Budapest Assembly, on Wednesday called on Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor, to resign over what he said were financial irregularities in connection with the reconstruction of capital’s iconic Chain Bridge.

Karácsony should resign becuase of the Chain Bridge?

Kovács, who is also the mayor of Budapest’s 16th district, said it was increasingly clear that “the reconstruction exceeded the budget by 5 billion forints [EUR 12.8m] and the contents of works completed reduced because money was being siphoned off.”

“It is time for you to resign from leading the city while you can do so with your head held high. You should show similar decency to that shown by the [former head of state],” he said, referring to the resignation of Katalin Novak.

According to media reports, at least 1.5 billion forints had been “funneled through a lawyer called Vig… then turned into campaign funds”, Kovács said.

Kovács said Karácsony’s support was failing, and even leftist parties were calling for an inquiry into the matter.

Former PM Gyurcsány has plan B

“Karácsony is finished”, Kovács said, insisting that Democratic Coalition leader Ferenc Gyurcsany was already “working on plan B”.

Responding to Kovács, Karácsony said the costs of the reconstruction had come to 8 billion forints less than planned. He noted that the works done on the bridge had indeed been changed in the course of the project’s two public procurement processes.

He said he did not know the “questionable businessman” mentioned, and the municipality had had no contract with him.

He said the websites “writing falsehoods” on the issue “are getting the timeline wrong”, as most contracts and money transfers between the businessman in question and A-Híd, the company tasked with the reconstruction, had been done before the municipality’s business dealings started with the latter.

Noting that the local elections were a mere 100 days away, Karácsony said Kovács’s proposal should be put in voters’ hands. “They will respond to Fidesz’s platform that lacks a true political message and looks down on Budapest residents and constantly tries to bleed the city dry… They will also respond to the politics we conducted, perhaps imperfectly but with a pure heart and good will.”

Budapest Assembly adopts strategy on preventing domestic violence and protecting witnesses

The Budapest Assembly on Wednesday voted unanimously to adopt a strategy on preventing domestic violence and protecting the victims of violence. The strategy proposed by deputy mayors Anett Bosz and Ambrus Kiss aims to prevent and curb domestic violence and to protect the victims of violence of any kind. It also takes a stand against discrimination against women and aims to promote equality between men and women by strengthening the position of women in society, the assembly said. The strategy will lay the ground for policy measures in the municipality.

Budapest Assembly to set up committee over events at Bicske children’s home

The Budapest Assembly decided on Wednesday to set up a case committee in connection with abuses uncovered at a children’s home in Bicske, in central Hungary, with the aim of restoring public trust in the institutions.

The assembly voted unanimously for the proposal submitted by Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor, and amended according to the proposals of Zsolt Wintermantel of Fidesz.

Karácsony said it was the Assembly’s task to “assign political responsibility and to adopt an action plan to restore public trust in state and local authority child protection services.” “The country was shocked in recent weeks by a presidential pardon granted to a person convicted for his assistance in attempts to cover up a paedophile crime,” Karácsony said. He noted that the children’s home involved in the case had been managed by the city of Budapest until 2013, and its director, the primary defendant in the case, was recognised with a municipal award two years later. He added that the award had been withdrawn after the director was convicted.

“It is important to clarify why the municipality and state agencies failed … and how the community could abandon the children pleading for help over the crime committed against them,” the mayor said. The committe, he said, would conduct an investigation to find out if the municipality had appropriately handled the first complaints in 2011.

The five-member committee will make its recommendations at the March assembly meeting. Wintermantel said in his amendment proposal that the director had been appointed to the post in 1990, and the municipality re-appointed him five times, and suggested that his activities should be scrutinised all through the years preceding 2011. He expressed Fidesz’s support to the committee and offered his personal involvement because “children and their protection” are more important than anything.

Read also:

  • Orbán’s Fidesz wants answers concerning Chain Bridge ‘revamp scandal’ – Read more HERE
  • Budapest to welcome renewed Chain Bridge with a free festival!

Former PM Gyurcsány: PM Orbán is the first pro-paedophile PM in Hungary’s history

Former PM Ferenc Gyurcsány's party DK slams President Sulyok

“Democrats are obliged to cooperate in the fight against [Prime Minister Viktor] Orbán’s regime, but not everyone thinks the same way about this cooperation,” Ferenc Gyurcsány, the leader of the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK), said in a speech assessing the past year on Saturday.

Nobody should fight against DK in the opposition

Gyurcsány said those in the opposition who wanted to fight both the government and the rest of the opposition were setting themselves up for defeat and their opponents for victory.

He added that those who employed civil activists over their parties’ organised teams were “committing suicide” and paving the way for the government’s victory.

Gyurcsány said 2023 had been a difficult year for the world, but “the most rubbish year” for Hungary in a long time. He said the government and “democrats” disagreed on the reasons for the international order coming unbalanced.

He said it was right for a country to try to manoeuvre between the global powers in a complex and contradictory international situation, adding, at the same time, that manoeuvring “cannot be treason”.

Gyurcsány said the one aspect of any international conflict DK and the government agreed on was that Israel had a right to defend itself after Hamas’s terrorist attack, even if what was happening in Gaza right now “gives cause for concern”.

DK operates with the word homeland instead of nation

Turning to domestic politics, Gyurcsány said the fierceness of political debates in Hungary was about deciding whether the country should be “Christian, as [ruling] Fidesz says, or civic, which sums up what democrats want”.

“Hungary is the country of believers and non-believers, Christians and non-Christians,” he said, arguing that “if the homeland belonged to everyone, it could not identify itself solely with the faith of a single group”.

Gyurcsány said DK considered Fidesz’s system “unconstitutional” because “they strive to obtain and hold absolute power”. “It aims for a state capture and control and the intimidation, humiliation, and, if possible, the elimination of its opponents,” he insisted.

He said DK would not view Tamás Sulyok, the ruling parties’ nominee for head of state, as president if he is elected, but as “Viktor Orbán’s employee”, arguing that Sulyok, as head of the Constitutional Court, had already been playing “an active role in creating, consolidating and upholding Orbán’s unconstitutional power”.

Meanwhile, Gyurcsány said the past three weeks had been “shocking”, as it had come to light that individuals close to the government had abused children, “and the highest-ranking state officials tried and are trying to cover up these crimes”. He insisted that this “permanently tarnishes Viktor Orbán’s regime, making the prime minister the number one leader of dishonesty”. According to telex.hu, Gyurcsány said Orbán would be the first pro-paedophile Hungarian prime minister in History.

He said the resignations of “the leaders chosen personally by Viktor Orbán” did not put an end to the case, insisting that the ultimate responsibility lay with the prime minister.

Gyurcsány said DK wanted to “let people live, while at the same time taking care of them” adding that this also meant paying decent wages and pensions. He said his party also believed that more wealth came with more obligations, and that billionaires should pay more taxes.

Here is ruling Fidesz’s response

Ruling Fidesz in response said in a statement that Gyurcsány was still the leader of the “dollar left”, and they “still refuse to take responsibility for their crimes”.

In the statement, the party said Gyurcsány’s speech was “once again all about their aim to gain power at all cost”.

“They still refuse to take responsibility for their actions.,” Fidesz said, adding that with Gyurcsány “crimes have no consequences”. Gyurcsány wants to enter into power again, a politician who as prime minister had “pushed the country into a crisis in eight years, scrapped one-month of pension and eliminated family support”, said Fidesz.

Read also:

  • Orbán: No pardon for child abusers – Read more HERE
  • Orbán: We can and will win EP election – Details in THIS article

Smallest but most successful Hungarian opposition party elects new co-leader

Smallest but most successful Hungarian opposition party elects new co-leader (Copy)

Richárd Barabás has been elected co-leader of Párbeszéd-Greens, the opposition party’s leaders said at a press conference on Sunday.

Párbeszéd is one of the most successful Hungarian parties. Despite having almost no measurable popular support, they managed to form a parliamentary group after the 2018 general elections, and even after 2022. Furthermore, they give the lord mayor of Budapest. Gergely Karácsony was the co-leader of the Párbeszéd for years. He was followed by Bence Tordai, who resigned unexpectedly on 1 February because he returned to lead their parliamentary group.

Barabás, the party’s spokesman and the deputy mayor of the capital’s District XI, pointed to the need to build a “just, open and green Hungary, characterised by solidarity”. He added that he aimed to base the party’s politics on “people, communities, democracy and green principles”.

Barabás has been elected co-leader to replace Bence Tordai who became the leader of Parbeszed’s parliamentary group.

Tímea Szabó, the party’s other co-leader, said Hungary needed a “credible” green party more than ever. She added that Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s state of the nation address on Saturday was “more proof” that he “didn’t understand climate change and a fair green transition”.

Barabás and Szabó are included in Parbeszed’s EP list.

Read also:

  • Mass demonstration held in Budapest’s Heroes’ Square with 150 thousand partakers – details and photos in THIS article
  • Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony to be either mayoral and MEP candidate in 2024

We begin a new era, Richárd Barabás promised in a Facebook post:

Hungarian Socialists afraid of political disappearance

Hungarian Socialists afraid of political disappearance

Ágnes Kunhalmi, co-leader of the opposition Socialists, has called for opposition parties to cooperate in Hungary’s upcoming municipal elections, and proposed setting up a joint list for EP elections.

At a press conference in central Budapest, Kunhalmi said the opposition “must not allow” the ruling party to divide them lest the ruling Fidesz party “takes back Budapest and also wins the municipal elections”.

“Democratic parties joined together and won in 14 districts at the past election in 2019,” she said, calling for support for incumbent opposition mayors.

Kunhalmi said her party backed the nomination of incumbent 8th district mayor Andras Piko, who represents the Momentum, DK, Socialist, Parbeszed and LMP parties.

She said the Socialists will continue their signature drive seeking public support for opposition cooperation in the municipal and EP elections in Budapest and across the country.

Based on the latests polls, the Socialists’ chance to gain one seat in the European Parliament on 9 June is almost zero. Experts agree that is why they a joint list for the EP elections.

Read also:

  • Hungarian socialists urge opposition to unite – Read more HERE

Opposition unity in Budapest in grave danger: Orbán’s Fidesz will win back Budapest?

Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony domestic violence social issue

The opposition LMP party “wants to show that there could be an alternative political proposal to lead Budapest . the party seeks a candidate [for Budapest mayor] who is not associated with their political affiliation,” LMP co-chairman Péter Ungár said at his party’s congress on Saturday.

LMP’s candidate would “represent the 60 percent of Budapest residents using public transport” in the long run, and work “to develop rather than shrink services”, Ungár said.

Budapest needs parks and social housing “rather than skyscrapers and luxury homes”, he said, adding that LMP would “not make concessions” on that subject.

Ungár declined to name a candidate saying that LMP was “not in search of a coat to complete a button”, adding that “there is joy in anticipation”.

Slamming Gergely Karácsony, the incumbent, opposition mayor of Budapest, Ungár suggested Karácsony’s priority was “to pose as [PM] Viktor Orban’s victim on Facebook”.

Ungár also criticised the other opposition parties in Budapest for “pretending to support cooperation whereas none of them are really eager that it should happen”.

Ungár insisted that political discourse within the opposition was “about persons rather than content”. He said “every election or referendum is about Viktor Orbán, while the opposition sees Ferenc Gyurcsány as the cause of all their problems or the solution to everything and Karácsony as the only hope”.

Ungár said his party was the only opposition party “that can define itself”. LMP is Hungary’s only green party, for which “the question if Lake Balaton should be surrounded by concrete” is a greater priority than “whether there is a police cordon around the prime minister’s office”.

“LMP is familiar with the dangers of GMO,” he said, adding that his party would “fight against battery plants in Hungary to the last minute.”

Ungár added, however, that “the EU is not the source of all good things and markets are not omnipotent”.

Ungár said LMP was the “only party that has drawn conclusions from the dramatic defeat of the 2022 election” and offered a “completely different alternative to the unnerving spiritual civil war raging in Hungarian politics”.

Read also:

  • The government wants to sell one of Budapest’s biggest palaces – Read more and check out the photos HERE
  • Dozens of Budapest tram, trolleybus, bus timetables changed ‘secretly’, which caused turmoil even in the opposition – Read more HERE

Hungarian foreign minister: 2024 is the Super Bowl of politics

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Monday said the government would continue to represent Hungarian interests “and not give in to blackmail, even though 2024 will be a crucial year, and we know the pressure will be enormous.”

Szijjarto called 2024 “the Super Bowl of politics” on Facebook on Monday. “Never before have 78 countries held elections in the span of one year, directly impacting nearly 4 billion people worldwide,” he added.

Hungarian citizens will vote in the European parliamentary elections, but hundreds of millions will go to the urns in the US, Russia, India, Mexico and the UK, he said.

“From our point of view, the US and EU elections are particularly important, as they raise the hope of replacing war, weapon deliveries and senseless human sacrifice with brokering peace,” he said.

Hungary will fight “to open Brussels’s eyes” to give the EU an opportunity to correct its errors in leadership, he said. As we wrote today, Balázs Orbán, the prime minister’s political director said exactly the same strategy here.

Szijjártó said this year’s events would see a new world order take shape, “so it will take larger efforts than ever to guarantee the physical and economic security of the country, so that Hungary can belong among the winners of that new era.”

“The international liberal mainstream has always exerted enormous pressure on us, but we prevailed, and it always turned out to have been the right choice,” he said.

Huge success for PM Orbán? Tens of billions of euros may come to Hungary soon

Viktor Orbán European Commission ultimatum

Hungary cannot access billions of EU development and RRF funds because Brussels froze those monies due to rule of law concerns. But it seems PM Orbán may get at least EUR 10 billion from the frozen assets, and the European Commission may approve that in December. That would mean the Hungarian prime minister and his party get a boost before the 2024 municipal and European Parliament elections.

According to the information of Szabad Európa, EU officials believe Hungary will get EUR 10 billion in cohesion funding in December.

Hungary is entitled to EUR 21.7 billion from that bag in the 2021-2027 period. However, the European Commission refused to grant that money because they found the Hungarian judiciary system is not independent. Therefore, they demanded reforms and seem to accept at least part of them soon. The first euro millions may start to flow into Hungary from February.

The European Commission might approve that EUR 10 billion in their 13 December session. They are expected to state that Hungary meets the horizontal eligibility criteria for cohesion funding. Another scenario is that the EC gives that opinion in writing.

That comes after the Hungarian government informally presented their solutions to the two remaining EC concerns related to the independence of the Hungarian judiciary system. Though the EC is evaluating these currently, Szabad Európa wrote that only technicalities are left before the Commission lifts the ban on euro transfers.

Billions of euros remain in Brussels

Meanwhile, the Commission will present the annual report about the rule of law measure against Hungary initiated last December. They will probably say that no considerable change happened concerning the 21 key prerequisites or super milestones. We wrote about them in THIS article.

Szabad Európa wrote that Hungarian EU minister János Bóka and his EC counterpart, Didier Reynders, would meet today in Brussels. The meeting means negotiations reached their goal.

If the EC accepts the Hungarian reforms, Hungary can get EUR 10 billion. However, Brussels will withhold the remaining 11.7 billion because of the EC’s rule of law concerns and three horizontal eligibility criteria (LGBTQ rights, independence of scientific life and migrant rights).

The Hungarian government already submitted a claim for EUR 500 million. In the first place, that money will be transferred to Budapest in February. But it might happen that millions of euros will arrive before the end of this year. Anyway, that money and the agreement will boost Hungary’s economy and the election campaign of Orbán and his party before the 2024 municipal and European parliamentary elections.

Read also:

  • Will Hungary kick the new year off with a tremendous amount of EU funds? – Read more HERE
  • Unexpected turn of events: EC sends Hungary EUR 1 billion – Details in THIS article

Re-nomination of Budapest mayor to be supported in 2024

ferenc gelencsér gergely karácsony anna donáth

Opposition Momentum will support the re-nomination of Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony for the post in the 2024 municipal elections, the party’s leader said on Thursday.

The mayor is running Budapest against “a massive counteroffensive” by the government which wants “to destroy” the city, Ferenc Gelencsér told an online press conference. “But Budapest is still standing, it is functioning and prospering,” he said. “It does not matter how the state party [Fidesz], or its actual proxy organisation — this time Mi Hazánk — seeks to change the election law. Budapest is a free city and will remain so.”

Gelencsér, who is Momentum’s group leader in the national assembly, said his party was ready for a compromise, adding that it was also ready to back the nomination of candidates on a joint list in constituencies where the opposition stood a good chance to win.

Momentum MEP Anna Donáth said her party and the mayor shared two fundamental values, namely liberalism and green thinking. “Our support behind Gergely Karácsony is a natural continuation of a values-based cooperation, not the result of back-door deals,” she said.

Thanking Momentum’s backing, the mayor said it was about a mutual support, adding that he could always count on the party’s councillors “in fights” over the past four years.

Karácsony called Momentum an important partner in the Budapest assembly’s coalition, adding that in most strategic issues the party “was a bit closer” to his “will” than any other parties.

Read also:

Here is the Great Agreement? This is how opposition wants to defeat Orbán in Budapest

Former PM Ferenc Gyurcsány (Copy)

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK), Socialist and Párbeszéd parties have concluded cooperation agreements for next year’s municipal elections, the parties said in a joint statement on Thursday.

The pact between former PM Gyurcsány’s DK and Párbeszéd covering the whole country includes jointly re-nominating Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony and all of the two parties’ incumbent mayors. It is also for fielding mayoral candidates on a joint list in localities and in Budapest districts currently governed by mayors of co-ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrats.

Under the DK-Socialists agreement, the parties will re-nominate their incumbent mayors serving across the country and field mayoral candidates in non-opposition led districts in Budapest and in several localities.

The question is whether this deal will be enough to defeat Orbán’s candidates in the 2024 municipal elections, especially in Budapest. Momentum Movement, having many supporters in the capital and one mayor in the downtown’s 6th district, is not part of the deal. In Zugló (14th district), for example, they already announced they would not support Csaba Horváth, the Socialists’ incumbent mayor. In 2021-2022, they did not support the previous Socialist MP, Csaba Molnár, and Ákos Hadházy defeated him brutally in the primaries.

Furthermore, there are multiple Budapest districts, where Momentum and DK or the Socialists have a mayoral candidate. One example is Budapest’s 21st district, where the DK and the Momentum claim their candidate is the joint opposition candidate. Maybe a primary will decide about their fate.

Read also:

  • PM Orbán wants to remain in power for much longer than he previously said – Read more HERE
  • Toiletgate broke out in Budapest: preparation for the 2024 elections? – Details in THIS article

Jobbik-Conservatives to field own candidate for Budapest mayor

brenner koloman

The opposition Jobbik-Conservatives party will field its own candidate, deputy group leader Koloman Brenner, for the post of Budapest mayor in next year’s municipal elections, the party’s deputy leader said on Tuesday.

“As has been shown throughout every mayoral term, a city leadership looking only in one direction is unsuccessful,” László György Lukács told a press conference, calling for fundamental municipal reform and “speaking openly about the problems that concern Budapesters”.

Brenner told the press conference that his aim was to offer “Budapesters a real alternative that is attractive” to non-Jobbik supporters as well.

Unveiling his plans, Brenner pledged measures to make Budapest’s public places cleaner, which he said was a problem “that has deteriorated a lot under the current city leadership”. He pledged reviewing the contracts with public cleaning companies and setting up “an adequate care system for the homeless”.

Brenner also pledged a tenfold increase in the number of surveillance cameras in public spaces which he said “should be used solely for protecting public order, not surveillance as such”.

As regards Budapest’s transport, Jobbik candidate Brenner said he would introduce a uniform parking system and would use revenues from parking fees to further develop the city’s public transport system. He in addition pledged to clarify rules and regulations on the use of e-rollers without delay and, if need be, ban “these life-threatening devices from Budapest”.

As we wrote earlier, Jobbik afraid of migrant ghettos in Hungary, read details HERE.

Here is Fidesz’s ‘secret weapon’ to win the next elections

viktor orbán prime minister national consultation

The ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrat parties will begin a nationwide campaign tour on Monday to urge the public to take part in the National Consultation survey, Fidesz’s communications director has said.

The National Consultation “is under attack” because the opposition have called it “a stalling tactic” and “unnecessary”, Istvan Hollik said in a video on Facebook on Sunday.

The public survey is a unique opportunity in a European context for Hungarians to voice their opinions on key issues, Hollik said.

“We can let Brussels and the dollar left know that we won’t budge one iota on Hungarian interests and Hungarian sovereignty,” he said.

Read also:

  • Hungarian National Consultation gets under way – Read more HERE

PM Orbán wants to remain in power for much longer than he previously said

PM Viktor Orbán in power

In 2018, the Hungarian prime minister, winning his fourth consecutive supermajority in the general elections in 2022, planned to remain in power until 2030. Now, he said he would like to lead Hungary for much longer.

PM Viktor Orbán is a unique phenomenon in the Hungarians and world politics. Despite Hungary’s size and population he is one of the most well-known and quoted politicians. Even American senators mention his name or policies in committee hearings. The world press writes about him as many times as they did about the 1956 Hungarian revolution and freedom fight. Of course, in some circles, Orbán’s publicity does not follow the support towards him.

That is why world leaders follow Orbán’s statements about his willingness to remain in power. Though there were initiatives to limit the number of terms a Hungarian prime minister could serve, nothing was enacted. Thus, a prime minister may remain in power for decades, provided he receives enough popular support. In that respect, Orbán and his Fidesz party have been the most successful since the start of the parliamentary era in Hungary.

Read also:

Islamisation and Christian migrants

In 2018, PM Orbán said he would like to govern until 2030. On Saturday, however, he said in his annual keynote speech in Kötcse that he would like to extend that period until 2034. He explained that the COVID epidemic and the war took away four years. He said Fidesz is less popular because of the economic crisis, but their background is strong because of ideological and political reasons and the opposition’s weakness. Here is a video of the “Kötcse summit”:

And some photos with the caption “Reunited”

Orbán said that the Islamisation of Europe is a great concern. That is why Christian communities would flee to Hungary from the West, telex.hu wrote.

Die Presse: Hungary in serious crisis

Die Presse, a leading Austrian daily, said that Fidesz and Orbán were able to create a parallel universe for the people of Hungary. That is the reason why his power does not vanish despite Hungary’s sky-high inflation rate. Regardless of what the government says, however, the Hungarian economy is in a considerable crisis, consumption falls, and the state budget’s deficit will soon reach 5.5-6%, 24.hu wrote. However, Orbán may remain in power because of the parallel universe he created in which Brussels and the EU sanctions are responsible for all economic hardships. The question is whether people will believe him or not.

Orbán receives Azerbaijan economy minister

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday received Mikayil Jabbarov, Azerbaijan’s economy minister, in his office, with talks centred on energy cooperation, the PM’s press chief said in a statement. Hungary’s energy security has been enhanced thanks to Azeri natural gas storage in Hungary which began in July, Orbán said at the meeting attended by Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, and Marton Nagy, the minister of economic development.

Several Hungarian companies are expanding in Azerbaijan, and more Hungarian investments there are also on the horizon, the statement noted. Regarding the reconstruction of Karabakh, Azerbaijan has designated the settlement entrusted to Hungarian companies for reconstruction, it said. Orbán also noted the 200 scholarships Hungary offers to Azerbaijani students pursing their studies in Hungary.

Parliament fundamentally changes future political campaigns

Hungarian parliament vote voting
Lawmakers on Tuesday approved a law regulating complaints and the reporting of abuses after President Katalin Novak sent it back to parliament for reconsideration. Furthermore, the parliament  passed an amendment on the local aspects of the country’s election law.

Parliament approves modified whistleblower law

Lawmakers on Tuesday approved a law regulating complaints and the reporting of abuses after President Katalin Novák sent it back to parliament for reconsideration. The law passed with 147 votes in favour, 6 against and 30 abstentions no longer contains a section criticised by the president which would have made it possible to file reports in the public interest of protecting the Hungarian way of life.

In her justification for returning the law to parliament, Novák said that a section of the legislation which was meant to provide stronger protections to Hungary’s constitutional rights and values instead weakened those values because it was not based on the assumption that there is a national agreement on them.

Parliament amends election law

Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday passed an amendment on the local aspects of the country’s election law. Parliament’s legislative committee last week approved provisional changes that would see a compensation list awarded in respect of settlements with more than 10,000 people voting in local government elections to parties that nominate candidates in at least two-thirds of individual constituencies. In Budapest, a party that nominates mayoral candidates in at least two-thirds of the districts would be entitled to submit a compensation list.

Also, it will no longer be possible to call a by-election one year prior to the local government election if the mandate of an individual constituency MP ends prematurely. Accordingly, a person on the party’s compensation list would step in. Further, interim municipal elections will only be held before next year’s local council elections if a campaign is already under way. The amendment was passed with 130 votes in favour, 51 against and 6 abstentions.

Jobbik would introduce new food subsidy scheme in Hungary

Jobbik Hungary food

Opposition Jobbik will contest the 2024 European parliamentary elections on its own and favours fielding local patriots in the local elections without opposition party logos, leaders of the conservative party said on Friday.

Jobbik will contest the EP elections with its own platform and as a modern centre-right pro-Europe party, Márton Gyöngyösi, the party’s leader, told a press event. As regards the local elections, he said a recent mayoral by-election in Jászberény, in eastern Hungary, showed that the vote should be contested without the presence of party logos. He said it was better if the opposition parties “step back and let people who are considered credible locally” decide amongst themselves who should go up against ruling Fidesz’s candidate.

However, Jobbik does not rule out the possibility of holding primaries in places where there may be disagreements, Gyöngyösi said, adding that “this would have to happen locally”.

Anita Kőrösi Potocskáné, Jobbik’s deputy leader, said opposition cooperation in the past had proven successful in places where the parties themselves were absent. She said party logos should not feature on the county election lists, either, arguing that civil groups could be more successful there as well.

Kőrösi Potocskáné added, however, that a primary to determine the candidate for Budapest mayor was likely inevitable, vowing that Jobbik would support the winner.

Meanwhile, Gyöngyösi said Jobbik favoured phasing out price caps on basic foodstuffs and replacing them with a food subsidy scheme targeting those having trouble making ends meet. The scheme would be financed from the additional gains in VAT revenue due to inflation, he said.

Jobbik
Read alsoA Hungarian party changed its name – here is the new

Here is how the Socialists would defeat Orbán in 2024

Bertalan Tóth MSZP Socialists Opposition

The Socialist Party has called on Hungary’s opposition parties to cooperate in the 2024 local elections.

Ágnes Kunhalmi, the party’s co-leader, told an online press conference on Saturday that the reason why the local and European parliamentary elections were being held on the same day next year was because ruling Fidesz wanted to focus its campaign “on Brussels, sovereignty and identity”. “This is the trap the opposition must avoid by preparing for the elections in time” and by fielding joint candidates together with civil groups, Kunhalmi said.

“We’re forced to cooperate,” she said, arguing that there were no changes to the election system that would justify the opposition parties fielding separate candidates. The opposition must choose the best candidates against Fidesz locally, both at the mayoral and local councillor level, she added. She urged the opposition to select a single candidate for each locality either by agreeing on one or holding a primary.

zelensky orbán
Read alsoLithuanian politician: Ukraine has a weaker chance because of Hungary

Toiletgate broke out in Budapest: preparation for the 2024 elections?

Gergely Karácsony public toilet toiletgate

It is not unusual to see strange things happening in Hungarian election campaigns. In 2024, the European Parliament and municipal elections will take place. The first scandal of the campaign revolves around a public toilet. Do people have the right to use a toilet or should they do what they have to on the streets? This is the debate that we will dive into today.

We are approaching the elections and this is usually when matters are getting more attention. In this case, a public toilet at the newly renovated Blaha Lujza Square. Gergely Karácsony, mayor of Budapest took the risky responsibility to renovate Blaha Lujza Square and the Chain Bridge simultaneously. Despite little hurdles, the square is ready and the bridge allows limited use. The city is developing and the government needs to do something against the opposition mayor. The discussion revolves around the new square and three main topics.

Critics of the renovations

The most significant question regarding the square is whether it will remain a transit zone or will it become a proper public space. This depends on the people, but the new square is relatively good. It is only missing an elevator down to the metro, which creates some accessibility problems. Despite the many changes, Blaha will most likely remain Blaha, hvg.hu writes. However, the square is what it is, first and foremost a transit zone.

The other problem is the cost of the renovation. The whole project cost almost HUF 4 billion (EUR 9.8 million), which is a lot, and it is also costlier than what the original plans stated. About one-fourth of the cost was paid by the state, which is important. However, the fight between the municipality of the capital and the government still caused a lot of problems during the project. Of course, the two sides try to prove that the other is wrong. But nothing created as much debate in recent weeks as the new public toilet.

The toiletegate scandal

The leader of the FIDESZ-KDNP group in the capital, Zsolt Wintermantel reported that public toilets were completely left out of the plans. According to him, there are no public toilets in the square. The mayor responded with a selfie with the public toilet at Blaha, which he said will be operational soon. Another supporter of the government, Dániel Bohár, went to the square to report that the out-of-order toilet is out of order. There is also the question of why the toilet is not free, to which the mayor responded that it helps to maintain the quality of the toilet for a longer time.

Gergely Karácsony’s position as mayor remains strong if the greatest problem with his leadership is a public toilet. A lot depends on the municipal elections in 2024 and a lot can happen in one and a half years.

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Fidesz group leader submits 11th constitutional amendment proposal

Máté Kocsis, group leader of the ruling Fidesz party, submitted the 11th amendment proposal to Hungary’s Fundamental Law to parliament on Tuesday.

Under the amendment, the municipal elections would be held on the same day as the European parliamentary elections. The amendment would allow holding the municipal elections in either April, May, June or July of 2024 instead of October, when they would usually be held.

In the proposal’s justification, Kovács noted that holding this year’s general election and child protection referendum on the same day saved the budget more than 10 billion forints (EUR 25.1m).

The 11th amendment would also bring back the term used for the county as an administrative district before 1949.

The motion will require a two-thirds majority to pass.

As we wrote last month, Hungarian parliament approves 10th amendment to constitution.

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