{"id":1037041,"date":"2018-03-24T23:25:32","date_gmt":"2018-03-25T03:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/?p=1037041"},"modified":"2018-03-24T23:25:32","modified_gmt":"2018-03-25T03:25:32","slug":"elections-in-hungary-2018-weekly-party-roundup-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/en\/elections-in-hungary-2018-weekly-party-roundup-8\/","title":{"rendered":"ELECTIONS IN HUNGARY 2018: WEEKLY PARTY ROUNDUP #8"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As elections are approaching, Hungary Today is publishing\u00a0a weekly party roundup<\/a>\u00a0on each Monday. With less than three weeks to go, commemorations of the\u00a01848 revolution<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0March 15<\/a>\u00a0saw a number of keynote speeches focusing on the upcoming elections. Fidesz-KDNP\u2019s lead seems to have slightly shrunk, while their campaign is becoming more and more concentrated on negative messages. Meanwhile, the opposition is still fragmented and divided, and will probably remain so.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kozvelemenykutatok.hu<\/a>\u00a0has put together recent relevant polls and compared the aggregated results to the outcome of the 2014 elections into a graph that you can view below. It is important to note that the graph shows only the national list results and predictions. Reminder: national list votes allocate 93 parliamentary seats out of 199 in total.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
For each party, alliance or conglomerate the first column shows the national list result of the 2014 elections, while the second column shows the predictions made by putting together the results of the relevant polls. Graph: kozvelemenykutatok.hu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the single member constituencies 106 seats will be up for grabs, and according to the relevant experts and surveys, a change of government or at least opposition majority in the National Assembly after April 8 is only possible if opposition parties cooperate and mutually withdraw candidates, thus making it possible to beat Fidesz-KDNP\u2019s candidates.<\/p>\n

Regarding the attitude of those on the opposition towards each other, Jobbik insists on running alone, while claiming that after the elections however they are willing to cooperate or even to build a coalition with LMP. Coordination with the older leftist parties (DK and MSZP), however, is out of question, as the formerly far-right political group claims that these parties are\u00a0\u201cliable for destruction over the past 28 years\u201d. LMP is willing to cooperate with any parties, but view DK and MSZP with distrust, likely for similar reasons. MSZP-PM and DK have already begun coordinating with each other and withdrawn candidates accordingly.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcs\u00e1ny, leader of DK, invited opposition parties Jobbik, MSZP-PM and LMP to coordinate in individual constituencies. Although invited, Jobbik didn\u2019t show up. Instead of reaching a compromise, the outcome of the meeting was rather ridiculous. Following the talks, LMP politician G\u00e1bor V\u00e1g\u00f3 argued that, contrary to his previous statements, Ferenc Gyurcs\u00e1ny is not willing to coordinate with Jobbik; on top of this, V\u00e1g\u00f3 claimed that the former Socialist Prime Minister was visibly intoxicated. In response, Gyurcs\u00e1ny said that his party will sue the green party for defamation over V\u00e1g\u00f3\u2019s claim.<\/p>\n

Hungary\u2019s National Election Committee (NVB)\u00a0granted official approval to the lists of all the country\u2019s 13\u00a0ethnic minorities<\/strong>. Voters who have registered for the April 8 parliamentary election as members of the Armenian, Croatian, Bulgarian, German, Greek, Polish,\u00a0Roma<\/a>, Romanian, Ruthenian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian or Ukrainian communities will have an opportunity to vote for their own national list and for an individual candidate.\u00a0To send deputies with voting rights to the National Assembly, minority-lists need 5% of all the minority votes, while those minorities who\u00a0will not reach the 5% threshold out of all minority-list votes, will be able to send a minority spokesperson (representative), who\u00a0has the right to speak in parliament, but not to vote.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Fidesz-KDNP<\/strong><\/p>\n

The so-called \u201cPeace March,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0a rally organized by pro-government organizations, attracted an immense crowd once again. The rally ended in front of the Parliament, where the official commemoration of the revolution and war of independence was held and PM Viktor Orb\u00e1n delivered his speech. He focused on migration and the \u201cdangers\u201d that the opposition, migrants, UN and EU supposedly posed to Hungary and Hungarians. He argued that national and democratic forces are on one side and supranational and anti-democratic forces on the other, claiming that \u201cthey want to take our country away\u201d. Europe and Hungary are in the middle of a \u201ccivilisational struggle\u201d, he added. Referring to the upcoming elections he said that \u201cIn a little over three weeks\u2019 time, we will once again decide on the future of Hungary. And in this election, it will not just be four years at stake.\u201d Turning to his usual attacks on the Hungarian-American businessman, Orb\u00e1n claimed that \u201cWe have to ready ourselves to face \u201cSoros<\/a>\u2019s candidate\u201d. Speaking of the opposition he said that \u201cit\u2019s not the anemic little opposition parties we have to fight, but rather an international network that has been organised into an empire.\u201d The opponents of the ruling Fidesz party \u201ccan only break up our camp\u201d if they succeed in forming a bloc, he added.<\/p>\n

In his March 15th speech, the Prime Minister at one point said that<\/p>\n

We will take moral, legal and political revenge after the elections<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

against opponents, a statement which has been interpreted by many as a threat, and which has garnered international criticism as well. Gergely Kar\u00e1csony argued that Viktor Orb\u00e1n \u201ccrossed another line\u201d by \u201cthreatening the advocates of change\u201d with political and legal sanctions. Jobbik leader G\u00e1bor Vona\u00a0said that PM Orb\u00e1n has become<\/p>\n

unworthy of leading Hungary.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Lat week, two scandals revealed by Magyar Nemzet have stirred up criticism towards the governing alliance.\u00a0The first<\/a>\u00a0concerns\u00a0Fidesz MP and minister Lajos K\u00f3sa, who according to a document was entrusted by someone with\u00a04.35 billion euros, allegedly for the purpose of investing this amount in Hungarian state bonds. Mr. K\u00f3sa, however, claims that he never actually received the amount, and that he may have been duped. According to critics, the case is proof of either money laundering or K\u00f3sa\u2019s incompetency.\u00a0The second scandal<\/a>\u00a0deals with the luxurious hunting trips of Zsolt Semj\u00e9n, deputy PM and leader of the Christian Democrats (KDNP).\u00a0These trips, held in total secrecy in Sweden, were financed by a government-linked businessman who has been the recipient of multiple EU grants. On one occasion, for example, organizers rented out a full 40-bed hotel for Semj\u00e9n and his friends.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Fidesz co-founder and MEP\u00a0Tam\u00e1s Deutsch posted<\/a>\u00a0a controversial video to his Facebook channel. The recording is similar to the one that PMO chief\u00a0J\u00e1nos L\u00e1z\u00e1r made in Vienna<\/a>. While walking in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, he claimed that, as a result of the policies of a socialist mayor the district saw a large influx of mostly north-African immigrants, which made the neighbourhood dangerous and a center of European Jihadism. Unemployment and cases of harassing those women who don\u2019t wear hijab are also frequent, he claimed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Jobbik<\/strong><\/p>\n

G\u00e1bor Vona, leader and PM\u00a0candidate of radical nationalist Jobbik, outlined the government structure the party would introduce if elected into power in the April 8 general election. Vona said the structure would encompass a prime minister\u2019s office and eleven ministries, and that there would be two deputy prime ministers in charge of general and EU affairs, respectively. The ministry of national strategy would be in charge of ethnic Hungarians abroad and Hungarian emigrants, Vona said. Hungary would also have a ministry of the interior, a ministry of public administration and justice, a ministry of education, culture and sports, a health ministry, a ministry of social policy, a ministry of economy, development and information technology, a finance ministry, a defence ministry and a foreign ministry, he added. Once in power, Jobbik would introduce e-referendum and e-consultations as a means for soliciting social feedback, he said.<\/p>\n

Speaking at an election rally<\/a>, Vona claimed his formerly far-right party would stop corruption, sort out health care and create a fair pension system. He\u00a0underlined Jobbik\u2019s pledge to keep the fence on the southern border and refuse entry to migrants \u201cwhether or not they have [bought a residency] bond\u201d. Vona also said Hungary\u2019s biggest problem was not immigration but emigration, adding that the government did not care about the latter. He has also told supporters that if turnout is high enough in the April 8 general election, then there would be a chance of unseating the incumbent Fidesz-led alliance.<\/p>\n

Jobbik vowed to set up an independent environment portfolio and strengthen authorities dealing with environmental protection if elected in April. Outlining his party\u2019s environmental policy plans, Jobbik lawmaker Lajos Kepli said that 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. The government, he said, 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 claimed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

MSZP-PM (Hungarian Socialist Party- Dialogue for Hungary)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Successive governments have made various attempts since the democratic transition 28 years ago to shrink the autonomy of local governments, the leader of the opposition Socialists told a conference. Since coming to power eight years ago, the incumbent government has been centralising their powers and resources, Gyula Moln\u00e1r said. The task now is to establish a local government system that applies the principle laid down during the democratic transition, namely that local councils should have the power to take decisions on matters affecting their local communities at their own level, he added.<\/p>\n

Promising the creation of a \u201cfree, independent and strong Budapest\u201d, the Socialist-P\u00e1rbesz\u00e9d alliance presented its election programme for the capital. Gergely Kar\u00e1csony, PM candidate of the two parties, urged a \u201cnew partnership-based treaty\u201d between Budapest and rural Hungary so that the capital can become the country\u2019s engine of growth. He said it was in Budapest\u2019s interest that public services that can be carried out by local councils are carried out by them.<\/p>\n

Gergely Kar\u00e1csony\u00a0discussed plans to set up an anti-corruption prosecutor\u2019s office made up of members of his shadow cabinet and other experts in Budapest.\u00a0The alliance would set up an anti-fraud office, support Hungary\u2019s accession to the European Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office and press for rules that would wipe out corruption once and for all, Kar\u00e1csony said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>LMP (Politics can be different)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not asking for a community of values with anyone, but we see that we have a common fate,\u201d Sz\u00e9l said. She asked the other opposition parties to follow LMP\u2019s example and \u201cget out of their comfort zones\u201d, because they can only unseat the government if they cooperate in some capacity.<\/p>\n

LMP wants a stronger representation of women lawmakers in parliament and has therefore fielded eight female candidates among the top 20 on its national list for the April 8 general election, party MP Erzs\u00e9bet Schmuck said. Women still account for just 10% of Hungarian MPs today, a proportion unchanged since the democratic transition of 28 years ago,\u00a0she said, adding that the government includes no female members at all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Democratic Coalition (DK)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking at the aforementioned commemoration of the 1848 revolution organised by the leftist opposition parties, Gyurcs\u00e1ny said it was necessary to talk to Jobbik \u201cnot about election cooperation or about a joint government but about a cooperative way to pull down\u00a0Viktor Orb\u00e1n\u2019s evil system in the next parliament\u201d. \u201cThere is no point in applying tactics or being polite; we must negotiate and come to an agreement,\u201d Gyurcs\u00e1ny said.<\/p>\n

He announced that his party would unilaterally withdraw its prime ministerial candidate in favour of Bernadett Sz\u00e9l, the green opposition LMP\u2019s candidate.\u00a0Democratic parties should agree to field just one candidate, the one with the highest chance of winning in each constituency, he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Two-tailed Dog Party (MKKP)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The satirical party held its own peace march on March 15. The event\u2019s goal was to mock the original pro-Fidesz march. Demonstrators thus showed up with signs containing funny messages such as: \u201cLet the UN dictate in its own country\u201d while often chanting \u201cViktor the King\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Egy\u00fctt (Together)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking at a meeting meant to agree on a joint opposition candidate in his constituency (Budapest\u2019s 1st), Egy\u00fctt leader P\u00e9ter Juh\u00e1sz claimed that if an agreement can not be reached through compromise, he is even ready to flip a coin to decide.<\/p>\n

Source: hungarytoday.hu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As elections are approaching, Hungary Today is publishing\u00a0a weekly party roundup<\/a>\u00a0on each Monday. With less than three weeks to go, commemorations of the\u00a01848 revolution<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0March 15<\/a>\u00a0saw a number of keynote speeches focusing on the upcoming elections. Fidesz-KDNP\u2019s lead seems to have slightly shrunk, while their campaign is becoming more and more concentrated on negative messages. Meanwhile, the opposition is still fragmented and divided, and will probably remain so.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kozvelemenykutatok.hu<\/a>\u00a0has put together recent relevant polls and compared the aggregated results to the outcome of the 2014 elections into a graph that you can view below. It is important to note that the graph shows only the national list results and predictions. Reminder: national list votes allocate 93 parliamentary seats out of 199 in total.<\/p>\n[caption id=\"attachment_1037042\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"600\"]\"\"<\/a> For each party, alliance or conglomerate the first column shows the national list result of the 2014 elections, while the second column shows the predictions made by putting together the results of the relevant polls. Graph: kozvelemenykutatok.hu[\/caption]\n

In the single member constituencies 106 seats will be up for grabs, and according to the relevant experts and surveys, a change of government or at least opposition majority in the National Assembly after April 8 is only possible if opposition parties cooperate and mutually withdraw candidates, thus making it possible to beat Fidesz-KDNP\u2019s candidates.<\/p>\n

Regarding the attitude of those on the opposition towards each other, Jobbik insists on running alone, while claiming that after the elections however they are willing to cooperate or even to build a coalition with LMP. Coordination with the older leftist parties (DK and MSZP), however, is out of question, as the formerly far-right political group claims that these parties are\u00a0\u201cliable for destruction over the past 28 years\u201d. LMP is willing to cooperate with any parties, but view DK and MSZP with distrust, likely for similar reasons. MSZP-PM and DK have already begun coordinating with each other and withdrawn candidates accordingly.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcs\u00e1ny, leader of DK, invited opposition parties Jobbik, MSZP-PM and LMP to coordinate in individual constituencies. Although invited, Jobbik didn\u2019t show up. Instead of reaching a compromise, the outcome of the meeting was rather ridiculous. Following the talks, LMP politician G\u00e1bor V\u00e1g\u00f3 argued that, contrary to his previous statements, Ferenc Gyurcs\u00e1ny is not willing to coordinate with Jobbik; on top of this, V\u00e1g\u00f3 claimed that the former Socialist Prime Minister was visibly intoxicated. In response, Gyurcs\u00e1ny said that his party will sue the green party for defamation over V\u00e1g\u00f3\u2019s claim.<\/p>\n

Hungary\u2019s National Election Committee (NVB)\u00a0granted official approval to the lists of all the country\u2019s 13\u00a0ethnic minorities<\/strong>. Voters who have registered for the April 8 parliamentary election as members of the Armenian, Croatian, Bulgarian, German, Greek, Polish,\u00a0Roma<\/a>, Romanian, Ruthenian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian or Ukrainian communities will have an opportunity to vote for their own national list and for an individual candidate.\u00a0To send deputies with voting rights to the National Assembly, minority-lists need 5% of all the minority votes, while those minorities who\u00a0will not reach the 5% threshold out of all minority-list votes, will be able to send a minority spokesperson (representative), who\u00a0has the right to speak in parliament, but not to vote.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Fidesz-KDNP<\/strong><\/p>\n

The so-called \u201cPeace March,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0a rally organized by pro-government organizations, attracted an immense crowd once again. The rally ended in front of the Parliament, where the official commemoration of the revolution and war of independence was held and PM Viktor Orb\u00e1n delivered his speech. He focused on migration and the \u201cdangers\u201d that the opposition, migrants, UN and EU supposedly posed to Hungary and Hungarians. He argued that national and democratic forces are on one side and supranational and anti-democratic forces on the other, claiming that \u201cthey want to take our country away\u201d. Europe and Hungary are in the middle of a \u201ccivilisational struggle\u201d, he added. Referring to the upcoming elections he said that \u201cIn a little over three weeks\u2019 time, we will once again decide on the future of Hungary. And in this election, it will not just be four years at stake.\u201d Turning to his usual attacks on the Hungarian-American businessman, Orb\u00e1n claimed that \u201cWe have to ready ourselves to face \u201cSoros<\/a>\u2019s candidate\u201d. Speaking of the opposition he said that \u201cit\u2019s not the anemic little opposition parties we have to fight, but rather an international network that has been organised into an empire.\u201d The opponents of the ruling Fidesz party \u201ccan only break up our camp\u201d if they succeed in forming a bloc, he added.<\/p>\n

In his March 15th speech, the Prime Minister at one point said that<\/p>\n

We will take moral, legal and political revenge after the elections<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

against opponents, a statement which has been interpreted by many as a threat, and which has garnered international criticism as well. Gergely Kar\u00e1csony argued that Viktor Orb\u00e1n \u201ccrossed another line\u201d by \u201cthreatening the advocates of change\u201d with political and legal sanctions. Jobbik leader G\u00e1bor Vona\u00a0said that PM Orb\u00e1n has become<\/p>\n

unworthy of leading Hungary.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Lat week, two scandals revealed by Magyar Nemzet have stirred up criticism towards the governing alliance.\u00a0The first<\/a>\u00a0concerns\u00a0Fidesz MP and minister Lajos K\u00f3sa, who according to a document was entrusted by someone with\u00a04.35 billion euros, allegedly for the purpose of investing this amount in Hungarian state bonds. Mr. K\u00f3sa, however, claims that he never actually received the amount, and that he may have been duped. According to critics, the case is proof of either money laundering or K\u00f3sa\u2019s incompetency.\u00a0The second scandal<\/a>\u00a0deals with the luxurious hunting trips of Zsolt Semj\u00e9n, deputy PM and leader of the Christian Democrats (KDNP).\u00a0These trips, held in total secrecy in Sweden, were financed by a government-linked businessman who has been the recipient of multiple EU grants. On one occasion, for example, organizers rented out a full 40-bed hotel for Semj\u00e9n and his friends.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Fidesz co-founder and MEP\u00a0Tam\u00e1s Deutsch posted<\/a>\u00a0a controversial video to his Facebook channel. The recording is similar to the one that PMO chief\u00a0J\u00e1nos L\u00e1z\u00e1r made in Vienna<\/a>. While walking in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, he claimed that, as a result of the policies of a socialist mayor the district saw a large influx of mostly north-African immigrants, which made the neighbourhood dangerous and a center of European Jihadism. Unemployment and cases of harassing those women who don\u2019t wear hijab are also frequent, he claimed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Jobbik<\/strong><\/p>\n

G\u00e1bor Vona, leader and PM\u00a0candidate of radical nationalist Jobbik, outlined the government structure the party would introduce if elected into power in the April 8 general election. Vona said the structure would encompass a prime minister\u2019s office and eleven ministries, and that there would be two deputy prime ministers in charge of general and EU affairs, respectively. The ministry of national strategy would be in charge of ethnic Hungarians abroad and Hungarian emigrants, Vona said. Hungary would also have a ministry of the interior, a ministry of public administration and justice, a ministry of education, culture and sports, a health ministry, a ministry of social policy, a ministry of economy, development and information technology, a finance ministry, a defence ministry and a foreign ministry, he added. Once in power, Jobbik would introduce e-referendum and e-consultations as a means for soliciting social feedback, he said.<\/p>\n

Speaking at an election rally<\/a>, Vona claimed his formerly far-right party would stop corruption, sort out health care and create a fair pension system. He\u00a0underlined Jobbik\u2019s pledge to keep the fence on the southern border and refuse entry to migrants \u201cwhether or not they have [bought a residency] bond\u201d. Vona also said Hungary\u2019s biggest problem was not immigration but emigration, adding that the government did not care about the latter. He has also told supporters that if turnout is high enough in the April 8 general election, then there would be a chance of unseating the incumbent Fidesz-led alliance.<\/p>\n

Jobbik vowed to set up an independent environment portfolio and strengthen authorities dealing with environmental protection if elected in April. Outlining his party\u2019s environmental policy plans, Jobbik lawmaker Lajos Kepli said that 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. The government, he said, 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 claimed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

MSZP-PM (Hungarian Socialist Party- Dialogue for Hungary)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Successive governments have made various attempts since the democratic transition 28 years ago to shrink the autonomy of local governments, the leader of the opposition Socialists told a conference. Since coming to power eight years ago, the incumbent government has been centralising their powers and resources, Gyula Moln\u00e1r said. The task now is to establish a local government system that applies the principle laid down during the democratic transition, namely that local councils should have the power to take decisions on matters affecting their local communities at their own level, he added.<\/p>\n

Promising the creation of a \u201cfree, independent and strong Budapest\u201d, the Socialist-P\u00e1rbesz\u00e9d alliance presented its election programme for the capital. Gergely Kar\u00e1csony, PM candidate of the two parties, urged a \u201cnew partnership-based treaty\u201d between Budapest and rural Hungary so that the capital can become the country\u2019s engine of growth. He said it was in Budapest\u2019s interest that public services that can be carried out by local councils are carried out by them.<\/p>\n

Gergely Kar\u00e1csony\u00a0discussed plans to set up an anti-corruption prosecutor\u2019s office made up of members of his shadow cabinet and other experts in Budapest.\u00a0The alliance would set up an anti-fraud office, support Hungary\u2019s accession to the European Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office and press for rules that would wipe out corruption once and for all, Kar\u00e1csony said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>LMP (Politics can be different)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not asking for a community of values with anyone, but we see that we have a common fate,\u201d Sz\u00e9l said. She asked the other opposition parties to follow LMP\u2019s example and \u201cget out of their comfort zones\u201d, because they can only unseat the government if they cooperate in some capacity.<\/p>\n

LMP wants a stronger representation of women lawmakers in parliament and has therefore fielded eight female candidates among the top 20 on its national list for the April 8 general election, party MP Erzs\u00e9bet Schmuck said. Women still account for just 10% of Hungarian MPs today, a proportion unchanged since the democratic transition of 28 years ago,\u00a0she said, adding that the government includes no female members at all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Democratic Coalition (DK)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking at the aforementioned commemoration of the 1848 revolution organised by the leftist opposition parties, Gyurcs\u00e1ny said it was necessary to talk to Jobbik \u201cnot about election cooperation or about a joint government but about a cooperative way to pull down\u00a0Viktor Orb\u00e1n\u2019s evil system in the next parliament\u201d. \u201cThere is no point in applying tactics or being polite; we must negotiate and come to an agreement,\u201d Gyurcs\u00e1ny said.<\/p>\n

He announced that his party would unilaterally withdraw its prime ministerial candidate in favour of Bernadett Sz\u00e9l, the green opposition LMP\u2019s candidate.\u00a0Democratic parties should agree to field just one candidate, the one with the highest chance of winning in each constituency, he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Two-tailed Dog Party (MKKP)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The satirical party held its own peace march on March 15. The event\u2019s goal was to mock the original pro-Fidesz march. Demonstrators thus showed up with signs containing funny messages such as: \u201cLet the UN dictate in its own country\u201d while often chanting \u201cViktor the King\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Egy\u00fctt (Together)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking at a meeting meant to agree on a joint opposition candidate in his constituency (Budapest\u2019s 1st), Egy\u00fctt leader P\u00e9ter Juh\u00e1sz claimed that if an agreement can not be reached through compromise, he is even ready to flip a coin to decide.<\/p>\n

Source: hungarytoday.hu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1037044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[166],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1037041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nELECTIONS IN HUNGARY 2018: WEEKLY PARTY ROUNDUP #8 – Bocskai R\u00e1di\u00f3<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/en\/elections-in-hungary-2018-weekly-party-roundup-8\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ELECTIONS IN HUNGARY 2018: WEEKLY PARTY ROUNDUP #8 – Bocskai R\u00e1di\u00f3\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As elections are approaching, Hungary Today is publishing\u00a0a weekly party roundup\u00a0on each Monday. With less than three weeks to go, commemorations of the\u00a01848 revolution\u00a0on\u00a0March 15\u00a0saw a number of keynote speeches focusing on the upcoming elections. Fidesz-KDNP\u2019s lead seems to have slightly shrunk, while their campaign is becoming more and more concentrated on negative messages. Meanwhile, the opposition is still fragmented and divided, and will probably remain so. Kozvelemenykutatok.hu\u00a0has put together recent relevant polls and compared the aggregated results to the outcome of the 2014 elections into a graph that you can view below. It is important to note that the graph shows only the national list results and predictions. Reminder: national list votes allocate 93 parliamentary seats out of 199 in total. In the single member constituencies 106 seats will be up for grabs, and according to the relevant experts and surveys, a change of government or at least opposition majority in the National Assembly after April 8 is only possible if opposition parties cooperate and mutually withdraw candidates, thus making it possible to beat Fidesz-KDNP\u2019s candidates. Regarding the attitude of those on the opposition towards each other, Jobbik insists on running alone, while claiming that after the elections however they are willing to cooperate or even to build a coalition with LMP. Coordination with the older leftist parties (DK and MSZP), however, is out of question, as the formerly far-right political group claims that these parties are\u00a0\u201cliable for destruction over the past 28 years\u201d. LMP is willing to cooperate with any parties, but view DK and MSZP with distrust, likely for similar reasons. MSZP-PM and DK have already begun coordinating with each other and withdrawn candidates accordingly. On Sunday, former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcs\u00e1ny, leader of DK, invited opposition parties Jobbik, MSZP-PM and LMP to coordinate in individual constituencies. Although invited, Jobbik didn\u2019t show up. Instead of reaching a compromise, the outcome of the meeting was rather ridiculous. Following the talks, LMP politician G\u00e1bor V\u00e1g\u00f3 argued that, contrary to his previous statements, Ferenc Gyurcs\u00e1ny is not willing to coordinate with Jobbik; on top of this, V\u00e1g\u00f3 claimed that the former Socialist Prime Minister was visibly intoxicated. In response, Gyurcs\u00e1ny said that his party will sue the green party for defamation over V\u00e1g\u00f3\u2019s claim. Hungary\u2019s National Election Committee (NVB)\u00a0granted official approval to the lists of all the country\u2019s 13\u00a0ethnic minorities. Voters who have registered for the April 8 parliamentary election as members of the Armenian, Croatian, Bulgarian, German, Greek, Polish,\u00a0Roma, Romanian, Ruthenian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian or Ukrainian communities will have an opportunity to vote for their own national list and for an individual candidate.\u00a0To send deputies with voting rights to the National Assembly, minority-lists need 5% of all the minority votes, while those minorities who\u00a0will not reach the 5% threshold out of all minority-list votes, will be able to send a minority spokesperson (representative), who\u00a0has the right to speak in parliament, but not to vote. Fidesz-KDNP The so-called \u201cPeace March,\u201d\u00a0a rally organized by pro-government organizations, attracted an immense crowd once again. The rally ended in front of the Parliament, where the official commemoration of the revolution and war of independence was held and PM Viktor Orb\u00e1n delivered his speech. He focused on migration and the \u201cdangers\u201d that the opposition, migrants, UN and EU supposedly posed to Hungary and Hungarians. He argued that national and democratic forces are on one side and supranational and anti-democratic forces on the other, claiming that \u201cthey want to take our country away\u201d. Europe and Hungary are in the middle of a \u201ccivilisational struggle\u201d, he added. Referring to the upcoming elections he said that \u201cIn a little over three weeks\u2019 time, we will once again decide on the future of Hungary. And in this election, it will not just be four years at stake.\u201d Turning to his usual attacks on the Hungarian-American businessman, Orb\u00e1n claimed that \u201cWe have to ready ourselves to face \u201cSoros\u2019s candidate\u201d. Speaking of the opposition he said that \u201cit\u2019s not the anemic little opposition parties we have to fight, but rather an international network that has been organised into an empire.\u201d The opponents of the ruling Fidesz party \u201ccan only break up our camp\u201d if they succeed in forming a bloc, he added. In his March 15th speech, the Prime Minister at one point said that We will take moral, legal and political revenge after the elections against opponents, a statement which has been interpreted by many as a threat, and which has garnered international criticism as well. Gergely Kar\u00e1csony argued that Viktor Orb\u00e1n \u201ccrossed another line\u201d by \u201cthreatening the advocates of change\u201d with political and legal sanctions. Jobbik leader G\u00e1bor Vona\u00a0said that PM Orb\u00e1n has become unworthy of leading Hungary. Lat week, two scandals revealed by Magyar Nemzet have stirred up criticism towards the governing alliance.\u00a0The first\u00a0concerns\u00a0Fidesz MP and minister Lajos K\u00f3sa, who according to a document was entrusted by someone with\u00a04.35 billion euros, allegedly for the purpose of investing this amount in Hungarian state bonds. Mr. K\u00f3sa, however, claims that he never actually received the amount, and that he may have been duped. According to critics, the case is proof of either money laundering or K\u00f3sa\u2019s incompetency.\u00a0The second scandal\u00a0deals with the luxurious hunting trips of Zsolt Semj\u00e9n, deputy PM and leader of the Christian Democrats (KDNP).\u00a0These trips, held in total secrecy in Sweden, were financed by a government-linked businessman who has been the recipient of multiple EU grants. On one occasion, for example, organizers rented out a full 40-bed hotel for Semj\u00e9n and his friends. On Sunday, Fidesz co-founder and MEP\u00a0Tam\u00e1s Deutsch posted\u00a0a controversial video to his Facebook channel. The recording is similar to the one that PMO chief\u00a0J\u00e1nos L\u00e1z\u00e1r made in Vienna. While walking in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, he claimed that, as a result of the policies of a socialist mayor the district saw a large influx of mostly north-African immigrants, which made the neighbourhood dangerous and a center of European Jihadism. Unemployment and cases of harassing those women who don\u2019t wear hijab are also frequent, he claimed. Jobbik G\u00e1bor Vona, leader and PM\u00a0candidate of radical nationalist Jobbik, outlined the government structure the party would introduce if elected into power in the April 8 general election. Vona said the structure would encompass a prime minister\u2019s office and eleven ministries, and that there would be two deputy prime ministers in charge of general and EU affairs, respectively. The ministry of national strategy would be in charge of ethnic Hungarians abroad and Hungarian emigrants, Vona said. Hungary would also have a ministry of the interior, a ministry of public administration and justice, a ministry of education, culture and sports, a health ministry, a ministry of social policy, a ministry of economy, development and information technology, a finance ministry, a defence ministry and a foreign ministry, he added. Once in power, Jobbik would introduce e-referendum and e-consultations as a means for soliciting social feedback, he said. Speaking at an election rally, Vona claimed his formerly far-right party would stop corruption, sort out health care and create a fair pension system. He\u00a0underlined Jobbik\u2019s pledge to keep the fence on the southern border and refuse entry to migrants \u201cwhether or not they have [bought a residency] bond\u201d. Vona also said Hungary\u2019s biggest problem was not immigration but emigration, adding that the government did not care about the latter. He has also told supporters that if turnout is high enough in the April 8 general election, then there would be a chance of unseating the incumbent Fidesz-led alliance. Jobbik vowed to set up an independent environment portfolio and strengthen authorities dealing with environmental protection if elected in April. Outlining his party\u2019s environmental policy plans, Jobbik lawmaker Lajos Kepli said that 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. The government, he said, 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 claimed.   MSZP-PM (Hungarian Socialist Party- Dialogue for Hungary)\u00a0 Successive governments have made various attempts since the democratic transition 28 years ago to shrink the autonomy of local governments, the leader of the opposition Socialists told a conference. Since coming to power eight years ago, the incumbent government has been centralising their powers and resources, Gyula Moln\u00e1r said. The task now is to establish a local government system that applies the principle laid down during the democratic transition, namely that local councils should have the power to take decisions on matters affecting their local communities at their own level, he added. Promising the creation of a \u201cfree, independent and strong Budapest\u201d, the Socialist-P\u00e1rbesz\u00e9d alliance presented its election programme for the capital. Gergely Kar\u00e1csony, PM candidate of the two parties, urged a \u201cnew partnership-based treaty\u201d between Budapest and rural Hungary so that the capital can become the country\u2019s engine of growth. He said it was in Budapest\u2019s interest that public services that can be carried out by local councils are carried out by them. Gergely Kar\u00e1csony\u00a0discussed plans to set up an anti-corruption prosecutor\u2019s office made up of members of his shadow cabinet and other experts in Budapest.\u00a0The alliance would set up an anti-fraud office, support Hungary\u2019s accession to the European Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office and press for rules that would wipe out corruption once and for all, Kar\u00e1csony said. LMP (Politics can be different) \u201cWe\u2019re not asking for a community of values with anyone, but we see that we have a common fate,\u201d Sz\u00e9l said. She asked the other opposition parties to follow LMP\u2019s example and \u201cget out of their comfort zones\u201d, because they can only unseat the government if they cooperate in some capacity. LMP wants a stronger representation of women lawmakers in parliament and has therefore fielded eight female candidates among the top 20 on its national list for the April 8 general election, party MP Erzs\u00e9bet Schmuck said. Women still account for just 10% of Hungarian MPs today, a proportion unchanged since the democratic transition of 28 years ago,\u00a0she said, adding that the government includes no female members at all.   Democratic Coalition (DK) Speaking at the aforementioned commemoration of the 1848 revolution organised by the leftist opposition parties, Gyurcs\u00e1ny said it was necessary to talk to Jobbik \u201cnot about election cooperation or about a joint government but about a cooperative way to pull down\u00a0Viktor Orb\u00e1n\u2019s evil system in the next parliament\u201d. \u201cThere is no point in applying tactics or being polite; we must negotiate and come to an agreement,\u201d Gyurcs\u00e1ny said. He announced that his party would unilaterally withdraw its prime ministerial candidate in favour of Bernadett Sz\u00e9l, the green opposition LMP\u2019s candidate.\u00a0Democratic parties should agree to field just one candidate, the one with the highest chance of winning in each constituency, he said.   Two-tailed Dog Party (MKKP) The satirical party held its own peace march on March 15. The event\u2019s goal was to mock the original pro-Fidesz march. Demonstrators thus showed up with signs containing funny messages such as: \u201cLet the UN dictate in its own country\u201d while often chanting \u201cViktor the King\u201d.   Egy\u00fctt (Together) Speaking at a meeting meant to agree on a joint opposition candidate in his constituency (Budapest\u2019s 1st), Egy\u00fctt leader P\u00e9ter Juh\u00e1sz claimed that if an agreement can not be reached through compromise, he is even ready to flip a coin to decide. Source: hungarytoday.hu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/en\/elections-in-hungary-2018-weekly-party-roundup-8\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bocskai R\u00e1di\u00f3\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BocskaiRadio\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-03-25T03:25:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Csibi Lor\u00e1nd\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/HT-ELECTION-FEATURED-749x415.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BocskaiRadio\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BocskaiRadio\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" 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R\u00e1di\u00f3","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/en\/elections-in-hungary-2018-weekly-party-roundup-8\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"ELECTIONS IN HUNGARY 2018: WEEKLY PARTY ROUNDUP #8 – Bocskai R\u00e1di\u00f3","og_description":"As elections are approaching, Hungary Today is publishing\u00a0a weekly party roundup\u00a0on each Monday. With less than three weeks to go, commemorations of the\u00a01848 revolution\u00a0on\u00a0March 15\u00a0saw a number of keynote speeches focusing on the upcoming elections. Fidesz-KDNP\u2019s lead seems to have slightly shrunk, while their campaign is becoming more and more concentrated on negative messages. Meanwhile, the opposition is still fragmented and divided, and will probably remain so. Kozvelemenykutatok.hu\u00a0has put together recent relevant polls and compared the aggregated results to the outcome of the 2014 elections into a graph that you can view below. It is important to note that the graph shows only the national list results and predictions. Reminder: national list votes allocate 93 parliamentary seats out of 199 in total. In the single member constituencies 106 seats will be up for grabs, and according to the relevant experts and surveys, a change of government or at least opposition majority in the National Assembly after April 8 is only possible if opposition parties cooperate and mutually withdraw candidates, thus making it possible to beat Fidesz-KDNP\u2019s candidates. Regarding the attitude of those on the opposition towards each other, Jobbik insists on running alone, while claiming that after the elections however they are willing to cooperate or even to build a coalition with LMP. Coordination with the older leftist parties (DK and MSZP), however, is out of question, as the formerly far-right political group claims that these parties are\u00a0\u201cliable for destruction over the past 28 years\u201d. LMP is willing to cooperate with any parties, but view DK and MSZP with distrust, likely for similar reasons. MSZP-PM and DK have already begun coordinating with each other and withdrawn candidates accordingly. On Sunday, former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcs\u00e1ny, leader of DK, invited opposition parties Jobbik, MSZP-PM and LMP to coordinate in individual constituencies. Although invited, Jobbik didn\u2019t show up. Instead of reaching a compromise, the outcome of the meeting was rather ridiculous. Following the talks, LMP politician G\u00e1bor V\u00e1g\u00f3 argued that, contrary to his previous statements, Ferenc Gyurcs\u00e1ny is not willing to coordinate with Jobbik; on top of this, V\u00e1g\u00f3 claimed that the former Socialist Prime Minister was visibly intoxicated. In response, Gyurcs\u00e1ny said that his party will sue the green party for defamation over V\u00e1g\u00f3\u2019s claim. Hungary\u2019s National Election Committee (NVB)\u00a0granted official approval to the lists of all the country\u2019s 13\u00a0ethnic minorities. Voters who have registered for the April 8 parliamentary election as members of the Armenian, Croatian, Bulgarian, German, Greek, Polish,\u00a0Roma, Romanian, Ruthenian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian or Ukrainian communities will have an opportunity to vote for their own national list and for an individual candidate.\u00a0To send deputies with voting rights to the National Assembly, minority-lists need 5% of all the minority votes, while those minorities who\u00a0will not reach the 5% threshold out of all minority-list votes, will be able to send a minority spokesperson (representative), who\u00a0has the right to speak in parliament, but not to vote. Fidesz-KDNP The so-called \u201cPeace March,\u201d\u00a0a rally organized by pro-government organizations, attracted an immense crowd once again. The rally ended in front of the Parliament, where the official commemoration of the revolution and war of independence was held and PM Viktor Orb\u00e1n delivered his speech. He focused on migration and the \u201cdangers\u201d that the opposition, migrants, UN and EU supposedly posed to Hungary and Hungarians. He argued that national and democratic forces are on one side and supranational and anti-democratic forces on the other, claiming that \u201cthey want to take our country away\u201d. Europe and Hungary are in the middle of a \u201ccivilisational struggle\u201d, he added. Referring to the upcoming elections he said that \u201cIn a little over three weeks\u2019 time, we will once again decide on the future of Hungary. And in this election, it will not just be four years at stake.\u201d Turning to his usual attacks on the Hungarian-American businessman, Orb\u00e1n claimed that \u201cWe have to ready ourselves to face \u201cSoros\u2019s candidate\u201d. Speaking of the opposition he said that \u201cit\u2019s not the anemic little opposition parties we have to fight, but rather an international network that has been organised into an empire.\u201d The opponents of the ruling Fidesz party \u201ccan only break up our camp\u201d if they succeed in forming a bloc, he added. In his March 15th speech, the Prime Minister at one point said that We will take moral, legal and political revenge after the elections against opponents, a statement which has been interpreted by many as a threat, and which has garnered international criticism as well. Gergely Kar\u00e1csony argued that Viktor Orb\u00e1n \u201ccrossed another line\u201d by \u201cthreatening the advocates of change\u201d with political and legal sanctions. Jobbik leader G\u00e1bor Vona\u00a0said that PM Orb\u00e1n has become unworthy of leading Hungary. Lat week, two scandals revealed by Magyar Nemzet have stirred up criticism towards the governing alliance.\u00a0The first\u00a0concerns\u00a0Fidesz MP and minister Lajos K\u00f3sa, who according to a document was entrusted by someone with\u00a04.35 billion euros, allegedly for the purpose of investing this amount in Hungarian state bonds. Mr. K\u00f3sa, however, claims that he never actually received the amount, and that he may have been duped. According to critics, the case is proof of either money laundering or K\u00f3sa\u2019s incompetency.\u00a0The second scandal\u00a0deals with the luxurious hunting trips of Zsolt Semj\u00e9n, deputy PM and leader of the Christian Democrats (KDNP).\u00a0These trips, held in total secrecy in Sweden, were financed by a government-linked businessman who has been the recipient of multiple EU grants. On one occasion, for example, organizers rented out a full 40-bed hotel for Semj\u00e9n and his friends. On Sunday, Fidesz co-founder and MEP\u00a0Tam\u00e1s Deutsch posted\u00a0a controversial video to his Facebook channel. The recording is similar to the one that PMO chief\u00a0J\u00e1nos L\u00e1z\u00e1r made in Vienna. While walking in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, he claimed that, as a result of the policies of a socialist mayor the district saw a large influx of mostly north-African immigrants, which made the neighbourhood dangerous and a center of European Jihadism. Unemployment and cases of harassing those women who don\u2019t wear hijab are also frequent, he claimed. Jobbik G\u00e1bor Vona, leader and PM\u00a0candidate of radical nationalist Jobbik, outlined the government structure the party would introduce if elected into power in the April 8 general election. Vona said the structure would encompass a prime minister\u2019s office and eleven ministries, and that there would be two deputy prime ministers in charge of general and EU affairs, respectively. The ministry of national strategy would be in charge of ethnic Hungarians abroad and Hungarian emigrants, Vona said. Hungary would also have a ministry of the interior, a ministry of public administration and justice, a ministry of education, culture and sports, a health ministry, a ministry of social policy, a ministry of economy, development and information technology, a finance ministry, a defence ministry and a foreign ministry, he added. Once in power, Jobbik would introduce e-referendum and e-consultations as a means for soliciting social feedback, he said. Speaking at an election rally, Vona claimed his formerly far-right party would stop corruption, sort out health care and create a fair pension system. He\u00a0underlined Jobbik\u2019s pledge to keep the fence on the southern border and refuse entry to migrants \u201cwhether or not they have [bought a residency] bond\u201d. Vona also said Hungary\u2019s biggest problem was not immigration but emigration, adding that the government did not care about the latter. He has also told supporters that if turnout is high enough in the April 8 general election, then there would be a chance of unseating the incumbent Fidesz-led alliance. Jobbik vowed to set up an independent environment portfolio and strengthen authorities dealing with environmental protection if elected in April. Outlining his party\u2019s environmental policy plans, Jobbik lawmaker Lajos Kepli said that 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. The government, he said, 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 claimed.   MSZP-PM (Hungarian Socialist Party- Dialogue for Hungary)\u00a0 Successive governments have made various attempts since the democratic transition 28 years ago to shrink the autonomy of local governments, the leader of the opposition Socialists told a conference. Since coming to power eight years ago, the incumbent government has been centralising their powers and resources, Gyula Moln\u00e1r said. The task now is to establish a local government system that applies the principle laid down during the democratic transition, namely that local councils should have the power to take decisions on matters affecting their local communities at their own level, he added. Promising the creation of a \u201cfree, independent and strong Budapest\u201d, the Socialist-P\u00e1rbesz\u00e9d alliance presented its election programme for the capital. Gergely Kar\u00e1csony, PM candidate of the two parties, urged a \u201cnew partnership-based treaty\u201d between Budapest and rural Hungary so that the capital can become the country\u2019s engine of growth. He said it was in Budapest\u2019s interest that public services that can be carried out by local councils are carried out by them. Gergely Kar\u00e1csony\u00a0discussed plans to set up an anti-corruption prosecutor\u2019s office made up of members of his shadow cabinet and other experts in Budapest.\u00a0The alliance would set up an anti-fraud office, support Hungary\u2019s accession to the European Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office and press for rules that would wipe out corruption once and for all, Kar\u00e1csony said. LMP (Politics can be different) \u201cWe\u2019re not asking for a community of values with anyone, but we see that we have a common fate,\u201d Sz\u00e9l said. She asked the other opposition parties to follow LMP\u2019s example and \u201cget out of their comfort zones\u201d, because they can only unseat the government if they cooperate in some capacity. LMP wants a stronger representation of women lawmakers in parliament and has therefore fielded eight female candidates among the top 20 on its national list for the April 8 general election, party MP Erzs\u00e9bet Schmuck said. Women still account for just 10% of Hungarian MPs today, a proportion unchanged since the democratic transition of 28 years ago,\u00a0she said, adding that the government includes no female members at all.   Democratic Coalition (DK) Speaking at the aforementioned commemoration of the 1848 revolution organised by the leftist opposition parties, Gyurcs\u00e1ny said it was necessary to talk to Jobbik \u201cnot about election cooperation or about a joint government but about a cooperative way to pull down\u00a0Viktor Orb\u00e1n\u2019s evil system in the next parliament\u201d. \u201cThere is no point in applying tactics or being polite; we must negotiate and come to an agreement,\u201d Gyurcs\u00e1ny said. He announced that his party would unilaterally withdraw its prime ministerial candidate in favour of Bernadett Sz\u00e9l, the green opposition LMP\u2019s candidate.\u00a0Democratic parties should agree to field just one candidate, the one with the highest chance of winning in each constituency, he said.   Two-tailed Dog Party (MKKP) The satirical party held its own peace march on March 15. The event\u2019s goal was to mock the original pro-Fidesz march. Demonstrators thus showed up with signs containing funny messages such as: \u201cLet the UN dictate in its own country\u201d while often chanting \u201cViktor the King\u201d.   Egy\u00fctt (Together) Speaking at a meeting meant to agree on a joint opposition candidate in his constituency (Budapest\u2019s 1st), Egy\u00fctt leader P\u00e9ter Juh\u00e1sz claimed that if an agreement can not be reached through compromise, he is even ready to flip a coin to decide. 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