https://hungarytoday.hu/conservatives-meet-in-brussels-amid-drama-and-intimidation/ Populist Fidesz media are whining about Brussels, the rules and laws so I have one simple question: Why don't…
Is Péter Márki-Zay prepared for governance?
I covered the very 1st Partizán 60′ interview with Ákos Hadházy, yesterday evening Péter Márki-Zay was the guest of Márton Gulyás. The interview was titled: Is Péter Márki-Zay prepared for governance? ►HU
With the fact that Unity for Hungary of course is talking since 6 weeks about different key parts of the program, but we are still waiting for a written program, the discussion started. MZP stated that the program will be presented to the public on February 17th officially. After being asked what he personally regards as being most important for his government within a single minute he reminded to the 12 points of 2018, written by a wide range of personalities as being still valid. We mustn’t be a country without consequences any longer. Joining the European Prosecutor Office EPPO. Starting preparations for introduction of the Euro. Opening the communist agent files. A new constitution with breaks and counterweights. Recovering the democratic state under the rule of law with an also recovered market economy.
What would be the 3 first things Péter Márki-Zay would do as PM besides joining EPPO? Fighting inflation would be something not easily done, but must be started immediately with. Immediately ending the useless public spending as stadium building abroad. Insuring working circumstances in public services as education and social institutions, health care, and police to prohibit further staff moving away and to attract enough people for filling the existing vacancies, including raising the wages until the people are no longer leaving these professions. MZP expects a need of a 50 % raise during the next cycle to close the pay gap, while numbers are less important to him than making these sectors functioning well. He doesn’t want to play these groups off against each other, but treat them equally. Asked about financial possibilities Márki-Zay replied that he relies on the complex calculations about the financial possibility Péter Ákos Bod and Júlia Király make as members of his knowledge team. Where the people must come from is returning to the profession after leaving for other jobs and returning from retirement under better conditions than now. My remark: Orbán has made it difficult to stay working for the state at retirement age.
How would look the country like after the 1st 100 days of MZP? This he regards as no measure. It is way more important to implement rules about how Hungary must look like on the long run. Stopping the permanent running down the country, which happens in spite of all Orbán propaganda, not to fall behind Bulgaria, which dooms with Orbán. Instead of corruption creating democratic and legal circumstances that attract the players on the markets to improve the country.
Asked about the 7th parliamentary group desired by Márki-Zay for a while after he won the primaries he declared that he decided to drop this in exchange of 60 concrete points in the program the parties accepted his ideas. He named as examples ending the compulsory chamber membership fee of all enterprises. Referendum on a new constitution as another. Or the rent housing program. Some want yearly 100 000 rental units to be built, which MZP said to be an unrealisable number, but he will see. He pointed on the EU program to insulate houses, which he calls to be an intelligent way to bring down energy costs. Way better than that the poor pay with their taxes for cheap heating of swimming pools of the rich. Numbers he didn’t want to name, since about 30 groups are busy with the program. The most recent group is one working on women’s rights, working for example on the joining the Istanbul convention. At the end György Surányi puts together all figures and compares these with the possibilities. So they all decided to keep the general VAT, but to lower the VAT on most food, but not on artichokes for example. Especially the lower VAT must be end up in cheaper prices, not in the profit of the shopkeepers and this must be supervised. Further to keep the maximum income tax SZJA at the single rate of today, but to lower the SZJA for the low-income groups.
Important would be lifting the state secret on the Chinese communist migrant’s university (so the exact quote) or on the Belgrade railway or on the Paks nuclear power plant, to be able to decide exactly how to react. Of course he doesn’t want to feed these projects in disadvantage of the Hungarian state, but it is hard to decide as long as being secret. He would really like to end all these projects, but not if the state would have more damage in doing so than realising would cost and that he saw this kind of treaties that are even worse fines as when Hungary would not fulfil it. In such a case he would negotiate the treaties to get to a solution. Especially Paks is connected to a very bad financing and nobody knows, perhaps not even today’s government, what to expect after a 7 years delay of a now since 8 year running project. Although being not against nuclear power and for a prolongation of the existing blocks of Paks, he has concerns about the power plants built now in the UK, France, and Finland seen the exploding costs. He is for cheap energy and archiving this with price explosions when building power plants is impossible.
What is the meaning of ending the tobacco store scandal? Ending the monopoly and offering everybody for example every food store to sell tobacco products again.
And the development of poor regions, everybody promised this in the past? MZP pointed out that several places already took up through investments, this must be done everywhere. He wants to get free Hungarian business from the strains of working for selected NER oligarchs or not. To get agriculture normally working again, where not a single person does the entire cultivation in a village. MZP would dissolve contracts where ownership of agricultural ground has been got illegally. Legal property is holy to him, but he wants to solve this problem through the way agricultural subsidies are paid to make pure owning less interesting. Illegally purchased property would not be permitted to remain with the purchaser. Oligarchs who bought more than the upper limit of land, not living in the place, with limiting others to participate in auctions as examples he regards as illegal and the courts have to dissolve the purchase contracts. He expects that a lot of ground would get back into state ownership and should be used to support the small farmers.
The next question was again about property, now about the FIDESZ foundations created to influence universities. Márki-Zay declared that these were founded even under FIDESZ law illegally, so dissolving them would be easy. He compares this to the illegal foundations of the national bank that have to be dissolved and the property has to be returned to the state.
Who will be the minister for health? This remained without answer, because Péter Márki-Zay won’t do such an announcement. All ministers will be selected by professional reasons, for their qualification, not for their party affiliation, but qualified members of all 6 parties are welcome as well. The only exception is Ákos Hadházy, as minister without portfolio responsible for anti-corruption measures, who is known already.
Asked about Russia, the conflict in Ukraine and the possible role of Hungary under his PMship MZP pointed out that of course he follows the situation narrowly, but that he would have no obligations concerning Putin, but to EU and NATO through membership. While Orbán always tells that Hungary mustn’t be a colony of Brussels, Márki-Zay doesn’t want to be a colony of Putin or the Chinese Communist Party. During the last meeting between Orbán and Putin he saw some serious tensions. How Putin left with a “spasiba Viktor” alone as he would be a “wooden sculpture”. He suspects that during the long seating there was a question Orbán was unable or unwilling to fulfil, where about the question of Hungary remains NATO member could have been the most problematic. How to develop the relationship between Hungary and Russia? As other countries do as well, not through a corrupt purchase of gas from Russia through a FIDESZ company. If Putin indeed sells for 1/5th of Western price the gas as he said, why is the price for Hungary that high? Someone must put it into his own pockets!
Back to Ukraine. Short answer, whether MZP is for the admission of Ukraine to NATO: Yes! It doesn’t matter for Hungarians what Putin wants, the Hungarian government must be loyal to Hungarians, EU and NATO. Within the limits of what NATO membership allows he would help the Ukraine government, even if war breaks out. Concerning refugees he told that those with a Hungarian passport would be treated with all advantages every Hungarian citizen enjoys in Hungary. Concerning Ukrainian citizens he in 1st instance pointed out that already today a lot of Hungarians are admitted to Hungary in favour of the Hungarian economy. For refugees he would follow the international compulsory regulations, however most Ukrainians won’t choose for Hungary.
About the announced criminal processing Márki-Zay expects that quite a number of politicians will end in jail, because of this several by-elections might be needed as well. Not only the theft, but also the killing of senior citizens by using useless vaccines should be investigated. He pointed to Romania as example, where today’s EPPO chief prosecutor has brought 115 politicians into jail and confiscated the with criminal means acquired wealth. Hadházy as minister will be responsible, while others will be prosecutors. Prosecutor general Péter Polt must be dismissed as soon as possible, but the anti-corruption prosecution office will be a separate unit. Even if by bad circumstances Polt can further protect the Orbán family EPPO will be able to arrest them. However, Polt’s appointment itself was a breach of the constitution according to MZP, since a prosecutor general who is actively protecting single persons and is not willing to fulfil the position in favour of creating a party state and in this knowledge he had never been a legal choice.
After winning the elections he doesn’t expect huge demonstrations against him, he has seen in Hódmezővásárhely, how much the people turn against the thieves as soon as they know the facts and that not migrants and gays are the country’s real problems.
He is aware of the unfair electoral system and expects cheating from the FIDESZ side. He has seen that with 14 votes difference won FIDESZ districts never have been allowed a re count, while where they lost they do and if they don’t win through the re-count they want to repeat the elections. In case of “Kubatov’s bald guys” rioting (remark: referring to the by them hindered attempt to apply for a referendum to open shops on Sundays again) police should be called.
About the common party list he declared that things are moving, his wish of having at least 3 Roma candidates is fulfilled, including a candidate of Jobbik, which MZP regards as great advance. Points as the 5 PM candidates of the primaries are back on top of the list and 3 Roma are important for him, how many seats DK would get through the list is not, these things the parties should agree without him telling what to do. Remark: in FIDESZ Orbán has the last word about the candidates of every single district and on the list. That some members on the list are not willing to take seat in parliament he doesn^’t see as problem, but as advantage. Top party members being in the EP would only add quality.
About the propaganda referendum MZP advises not to tear the ballot in pieces, not to accept it, or to vote invalid to keep the number of participants under the threshold and to invalid the result. The only valid decision is whether to send Orbán to jail or not. A boycott of the referendum is the common position of all parties in Unity for Hungary. They do not take place in clownery.
Why doesn’t Márki-Zay as PM candidate just tell the parties to nominate Gábor Iványi for president? Because he doesn’t think a single person should run government or country, for him it there is no need having a candidate, since the result of that election is known already. The only important question is to vote Orbán away.
For his successor as mayor in Hódmezővásárhely he would like to see János Szabó, since he is not only a serious person and familiar with the town’s affairs, but they also very well worked together.
Further a question about László Bige, who gifted 10 million Ft (28 000 €) for the campaign of MZP, and who also made business with Lőrinc Mészáros. A question that made him taking the phone. A Mészáros company every year buys fertiliser from Bige’s company, they don’t know each other in person, they never met. However, Unity for Hungary does not support László Bige, but Bige gave a gift to Unity for Hungary. He paid as far as MZP knows a single time and this is just a fraction of the money he collected with a single email from Hungarian taxpayers last week. Everybody may support his campaign and if Mészáros, who remained silent up to now, would give him 10 million he would thank him for his support and of course this would be found in the accounts as well. He doesn’t want to get gifts for business, but from citizens who want him to realise the common goal.
At the end: There was a quote that the opposition has a 40 % chance in winning, MZP should give a statement about this chance. This would be very much more than the chances of winning of anybody who stood against Orbán the last 12 years, he declared. His personal values he won the elections as mayor or in the primaries were always way below 40 %. And this has not been his idea, but was declared by analysts in London after he won the primaries – as rise from 20 % the day before. Péter Márki-Zay himself would bet his life for getting elected.
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I’m quite impressed with MZP so far. I’m also more optimistic than before the last few elections, though I wouldn’t say I was confident. Purely on an ancedotal basis, I’ve seen more opposition billboards this time round and the more aggressive campaigning is an improvement. Of course there will be many priorities (which can always be debated, EPPO, health and education, restoring democracy sounds like a good start) but the first and most important one is to put an end to 12 years of Fidesz’ rule.
telex is reporting that the economist Róna Péter is the opposition’s candidate for President
Yes MZP seems like a strong candidate to defeat Fidesz. I don’t quite share all his views but I like how he’s not afraid of taking on Fidesz and use aggressive tactics to make a point. I have just read that he will soon release the names of homosexual Fidesz high-rank people only to prove that this anti-LGBT Fidesz propaganda is nothing but a populist measure.
Such a move to expose LGBT Fidesz supporters is in my opinion homophobic in itself.
Just exposing somebody is one thing, but here we have a very different situation. Here we have a bunch of hateful propagandists involved in a hate campaign against their own minority. My son and his husband can’t await that the bigot top FIDESZniks will be exposed. They had fun when Szájer hang at the gutter, especially regarding the anti-gay clause he wrote into Orbán’s basic law.
No leading Democrat would out a Republican who is in the closet here, it would be unacceptable to the progressive wing of the party. It is pathetic that LBGTQ people of the right hide their own sexuality and in some cases act in open hostility towards open LBGTQ people.
In the US Army I knew of rumored gay officers who purged gay enlisted men to supposedly protect themselves prior to the change in the military code of justice. I was opposed to the entire policy of purging LBGTQ people as soon as I saw a good honest officer purged for his off base relationship with a man in Germany in the 1970s. I am totally opposed to outing people for their own sexuality including priests and sisters in the Catholic Church. Outing people can destroy lives and have horrible consequences for some people having psychological problems repressing themselves constantly.
I agree with you but in this case, it’s not a question of outing gays, it’s about Fidesz’s hypocrisy. The Orbán regime is taking measures against the LGBT community even though there are gays among its ranks and at high level posts. In fact, if the regime had the opposite position regarding gays, these would be allowed to come out knowing their rights and safety will be guaranteed. Right now, Orbán is only creating a hateful atmosphere in which sadly gays have to hide.
I agree it’s not fair to “out” people without their consent and I disagree with MZP on this issue. However, there is a culture of anti-political correctness in Hungary, even among opposition voters, so it might be a vote winner to do so (also showing that he is strong-minded and capable of taking “difficult” decisions)
Off topic. I had to laugh today when I read this in the Washington Post: “Vice President Harris will hold a series of in-person meetings with U.S. allies and partners at the Munich Security Conference later this week, reaffirming Washington’s commitment to security in the region. The conference was launched by Western nations at the height of the Cold War to address military conflicts. The Kremlin has said it won’t send any officials to the conference.”
VP Harris was designated by Biden to lead US efforts to get Central American nations that are flooding the Southwest US borders with undocumented refugees to contain that flow. She has achieved nothing at all and actually thought speaking broken Spanish on TV in Crntral America telling peasants not to flee to our borders might help. I am sure VP Harris is deeply knowledgeable about Central Europe and in particular the history of the Russian Empire’s expansion. Very possibly she is even shaky on the basic geography of the area, there are somethings law school doesn’t prep for.
Now VP Harris was added to Biden’s ticket to help consolidate the vote of African Americans and she was a fierce debater against Republicans in the US Senate, where she never focused on international affairs. She is very bright, but totally out of her element on military/security affairs related to the current situation.
The Guardian newspaper has an opinion piece today written by Keir Giles who works with the Russia and Eurasia program of the UK think tank Chatham House. It’s of course about the crisis with Russia and there are remarkable aspects to it.
He writes “While previously it would have been hard to cast any retreat by Putin as anything but humiliating failure, it is now the US that stands to be embarrassed, and the credibility of its intelligence disclosures once again shattered, if Russia chooses an option other than invasion – or even simply continues to sit on the border as the dates named by the US come and go.” I have to say how can the US intel establishment be any more embarrassed than it is after Afghanistan and the complete total collapse of the national Army to the Taliban in two weeks which they believed could last a year?
Keir Giles concludes by indicating that the Russians are claiming “risks almost inevitable escalation to nuclear war” and I agree with that. But he argues in a coy way maybe the West should indeed threaten nuclear war against Russia if it invades that “warning of Russia’s plans to attack, the US and its allies should also be letting Putin believe they might just do something about it” going apparently well beyond further sanctions. Now I guess that is easier said by an analyst sitting in the UK than by a Central European. I think the preparations being made for Ukrainians to carry on a protracted war against any Russian occupation is dangerous enough but a risk well worth taking.
Both Istvans had a polite dialogue about a difficult issue albeit hypothetical at this point i.e. should some one “out”a politician, who is anti LGBT, while secretly doing the very thing they condemn. Sadly, this discussion has happened before in Hungary, not only with Fidesz functionaries, but as you both know, with Jobbik as well. For example, in the past, some Jobbik leaders also hid that they had some Jewish ancestors, while others hid that they were gay.
Since I am both gay and Jewish, these topics are also highly personal for me as well. Of course, both of you shared personal details about your own families, which I respect and greatly appreciate. I won’t advise what others should and should not do -in this instance- regarding outing a hypercritical politician. I certainly understand Istvan (our blog commentator, especially in defending his gay son and son in law). On the other hand, Chicago Istvan is also someone I can understand in terms of giving witness to lives destroyed in the military by anti gay witch hunts.
One current situation before us is rather-is it wise for MKP to share a stage with Jobbik (not a great friend of LGBT individuals, but perhaps a necessary “ally”in other respects) and hint that one may have details of anti gay Fidesz functionaries, who are secretly gay? Could MKP find himself in a position that he might regret i.e. possibly encouraging
the very homophobia that he-correctly- has criticized? I have no answers, but caution is probably a good idea.
The Fidesz could even when MZP pulls some gay Fidesszniks with force out of the closet use this as proof how “inclusive” they are.
Thanks Jan for your response (missed it earlier)
I would never agree to expose the private life of a politician as long as it has no political relevance. But what he does and says in function is of public interest, also whether he does what he said or not. To expose the wealth of Orbán, the ascetic man without savings, has political relevance. Gyurcsány in opposite has earned his money in the world of finance and not while in office, I may tell about because he never made this a secret. Since he has according to everything we know acquired his wealth legally and fully taxed everything is fine and he only may be used as example that one doesn’t need to be a criminal to be wealthy and the rest is his private affair. Having an expensive holiday for example should remain his private affair. When our foreign minister goes yachting at the value of 4 years if his income is relevant. If a mayor, who is presenting himself as the perfect family man, is having sexparties on public expense it is news. Someone who had left his family out of the news and did not pay prostitutes with EU grants must be left alone. And if a man who has written an anti-gay basic law hangs at the gutter when police raids a gay orgy this is news. And seen the massive anti-gay propaganda we are confronted with right now it is of public interest if politicians are making propaganda against themselves. It is not about the man living somewhere in the country voting for FIDESZ, but about those who are spreading hate against their own minority. Péter Ungár is open about his sexual orientation, since years elected MP, and has a high position of the LMP list again. Just that his party has not made it a problem, so he is at the end more in the independent media as an expert (regime media not at all of course, as long as no character assassination takes place, but this is the same with all opposition politicians.) And Jobbik? Last year during Budapest Pride a high placed member was spotted (I can’t remember who) and when from outside he was attacked for participating Jakab ended the discussion with the statement that participation was a private decision and the party would not meddle in private lives of members. Such a private decision is no longer an option in FIDESZ. And: Is a minister obligated to do what Orbán wants? If this minister disagrees spreading hate against his own minority he might resign and leave the party. FIDESZ is neither the US military nor is life impossible out of politics. A political career is by definition not a job for lifetime.
thanks for your response.
Opposition candidate Mihaly Ger withdraws when his revolting post accident comments on concealed Facebook were leaked. He killed a young man and injured a young woman, and his comments are off the scale. I wonder how the media got access to them nearly six years later?