elections
March 12, 2010, 09:50 CET
Hungarians' inclination to vote twice stronger on right than left
The inclination of right-wing supporters to vote at the upcoming parliamentary elections is twice as strong as that of left-wing supporters, a February poll Tarki published on Thursday shows. Among those who said they would certainly cast their votes, left-wing... [read complete entry]
March 12, 2010, 09:49 CET
NGO compares energy agendas in campaign
Energy issues do not feature high in the Hungarian election campaign, a staff member of Energia Klub, an NGO, said on Thursday. Denes Fellegi has examined the campaign platforms of all parties who won at least two percent of the... [read complete entry]
March 11, 2010, 09:41 CET
Jobbik surges ahead in March, Szonda Ipsos finds
Just over a month before the first round of Hungary's parliamentary elections, radical nationalist party Jobbik has shown a surge in support, pollster Szonda Ipsos said. In the decided camp, Jobbik scored 17 percent support - over three times the... [read complete entry]
March 11, 2010, 09:40 CET
Support for parties stable, Nézőpont Intézet poll shows
With hardly more than a month to go until the general elections, Hungary's main opposition Fidesz maintained its lead over the ruling Socialists last week, a recent poll by the Nezopont Institute showed. The poll conducted on a sample of... [read complete entry]
March 10, 2010, 09:42 CET
No big changes in Hungary's foreign policy likely after election, says official
No fundamental changes are likely in Hungarian foreign policy once the next government assumes office after the April general election, Gabor Iklody, a senior foreign ministry official, told his American colleagues on Tuesday. The ministry's political director said he had... [read complete entry]
March 10, 2010, 09:40 CET
Parties discuss how to capture liberal voters
Representatives of four Hungarian political parties met in Budapest on Tuesday to hold a debate on how to capture the vote potential left behind with the fragmentation of the liberal Free Democrats. Party leader Ildiko Lendvai for the governing Socialists,... [read complete entry]
March 10, 2010, 09:37 CET
Fidesz collects two million candidate petition slips
The main opposition Fidesz party and its Christian Democratic ally have attained their target to collect two million candidate petition slips for the general elections, a senior party official told reporters in Budapest on Tuesday. The number of slips has... [read complete entry]
March 09, 2010, 02:17 CET
Jobbik derails Fidesz's "anti-campaign" election train
Jobbik has derailed Fidesz’s electoral strategy of coasting toward victory this April while barely lifting a finger. Although so far the salvos from Fidesz have come from the more peripheral figures, it is increasingly apparent that in this election campaign,... [read complete entry]
March 08, 2010, 10:32 CET
Fidesz rejects Socialist invitation to broadcast debate
Conservative party Fidesz on Sunday rejected a call by the Socialist party's prime-minister candidate to take part in a broadcast debate on their respective campaign programmes. Attila Mesterhazy had asked Viktor Orban, the Fidesz leader, and the party's top policymakers... [read complete entry]
March 05, 2010, 10:16 CET
Over 3,400 Hungarians on registry to vote abroad
Some 3,400 Hungarians eligible to vote have indicated they would like to cast their ballots abroad, the national election office told MTI on Friday. Voters have until March 19 to declare their intention to vote abroad. Voting in the first... [read complete entry]
March 05, 2010, 10:15 CET
Parties spent Ft 400 million on election campaigns so far
Hungary's parties campaigning for the two rounds of the April general election have so far spent a combined 400 million forints (EUR 1.4 m), anti-corruption NGOs said on Thursday. Representatives of Freedom House, Transparency International and the Karoly Eotvos Political... [read complete entry]
March 05, 2010, 10:14 CET
Ruling Socialists initiate debate with opposition next week
Ministers of the ruling Socialists invite experts of the main opposition Fidesz party for three policy debates next week, the Socialist prime minister candidate confirmed MTI's information on Thursday. The first debate on next Tuesday would be held on social... [read complete entry]
March 04, 2010, 02:32 CET
March 15th madness avoided as parties distance themselves from each other
With the three largest parties all planning rallies on March 15th at 3 in the afternoon in downtown Pest, Fidesz was the first party to relocate their rally across the river into Buda, although the MTI report left out Mouth... [read complete entry]
March 04, 2010, 09:56 CET
Opposition moves rally to other side of Danube
The main opposition Fidesz party and its election ally Christian Democrats decided to move their campaign-opening rally on the national holiday of March 15 to a new site, a senior Fidesz official told MTI on Wednesday. Fidesz originally planned to... [read complete entry]
March 04, 2010, 09:51 CET
Fidesz retains large lead in polls; willingness to vote increases
Fidesz has 52% support amongst potential voters while 19% back the Socialists and 14% Jobbik, a Nézöpont Institute poll found. Socialist support is below 5% in the 30-44 age band, while 19% of Hungary's over 60s favour the party. The... [read complete entry]
March 03, 2010, 09:33 CET
Parties to hold campaign rallies in Budapest on March 15 national holiday
All major parties in Hungary will hold a campaign rally on the afternoon of the national holiday of March 15 in the centre of Budapest, the organisers told MTI on Tuesday. March 15 marks the commemoration of Hungary's 1848 anti-Habsburg... [read complete entry]
March 03, 2010, 09:32 CET
Green party LMP not to name PM candidate
The green Politics Can Be Different (LMP) party seeks to become a parliamentary force rather than a governing party and has therefore decided not to nominate a prime minister candidate for the upcoming general elections, a senior LMP official told... [read complete entry]
March 02, 2010, 10:10 CET
Collection of electoral nomination forms at half-way stage
The period for gathering electoral nomination forms has now reached the half-way mark. The Socialist Party has collected the 750 forms necessary for nomination in all 176 individual constituencies, party spokeswoman Bernadett Budai told Inforádió on Monday. She said the... [read complete entry]
March 02, 2010, 10:06 CET
Analysts expect intensifying campaign
Political analysts expect the campaign for the April general elections to intensify in the coming weeks and differ from the previous ones. Presenting a volume on European campaign strategies on Monday evening, Agoston Samuel Mraz of Nezopont Institute and Attila... [read complete entry]
March 02, 2010, 10:04 CET
Socialists not to support Fidesz against Jobbik in 2nd round
The Socialist party's candidates will not step down in favour of main opposition Fidesz in the second round of elections, Socialist prime minister candidate Attila Mesterhazy said on Monday. Addressing a local residents' forum, Mesterhazy was responding to a question... [read complete entry]
March 01, 2010, 10:39 CET
Registered Hungarian parties number 183
At present there are a total 183 parties in Hungary, including 55 registered since the last parliamentary elections in 2006, data published by the National Judicial Council show. Over the past year, 26 new parties have been registered by courts.... [read complete entry]
March 01, 2010, 10:38 CET
Roma leader calls on community to support Fidesz
Florian Farkas, head of Hungarian Roma federation Lungo Drom, called on members to support the main conservative Fidesz party at the upcoming general elections, in his address to the federation's congress in Szolnok (C) on Saturday. Farkas argued that the... [read complete entry]
March 01, 2010, 10:37 CET
Socialist PM candidate starts rally around Hungary
Prime minister candidate of the ruling Socialist Party Attila Mesterhazy started a tour of the country in Polgar (E) on Saturday. The candidate met supporters in the local community centre and said that the next elections would determine Hungary's dominant... [read complete entry]
March 01, 2010, 10:35 CET
Jobbik presents candidate for justice minister
Hungarian radical nationalist party Jobbik on Friday introduced a candidate for justice and local government minister, another member of Jobbik's shadow government, which is in the making. The party's leader Gabor Vona, who is also PM candidate, earlier said there... [read complete entry]
February 26, 2010, 09:08 CET
I always knew fiscal austerity was a bitch, but…
It's still far too early in the 2010 general election season to say which party is winning the contest for the most bizarre campaign poster. But my current favorite has got to be the above offering from the MDF,... [read complete entry]
February 25, 2010, 10:30 CET
Fidesz still forecast to win two-thirds majority at elections
Viktor Orban's conservative Fidesz party could secure a two-thirds majority - needed to change the constitution -- if an election were held now, according to a Nezopont poll commissioned by political weekly Heti Valasz. In the third week of February,... [read complete entry]
February 25, 2010, 10:27 CET
New poll reveals Fidesz leading firmly, voter activity rising
The latest survey by pollster Median indicated increased voter activity, a firm lead by main opposition Fidesz and growing support for the radical nationalist Jobbik party, the online business portal HVG.hu reported on Wednesday. According to the survey, Hungary's next... [read complete entry]
February 25, 2010, 10:19 CET
New controversy arises around nomination rules
A furore has arisen over whether it is legal to collect nomination forms in public places, with different election committees taking different stands. The fuss began when Democratic Forum candidate József Debreczeni posted a list on his website of cafés... [read complete entry]
February 24, 2010, 09:40 CET
Fidesz to prosecute politicians for common crimes only
Conservative Fidesz, tipped to win the April general election, said earlier that it would examine the legal background for prosecuting politicians for any misdeeds committed while in office. But Istvan Balsai, Fidesz's chief legal expert, said on Tuesday that former... [read complete entry]
February 24, 2010, 09:38 CET
Former central bank president ready to accept post in Fidesz gov't
Former central bank president Zsigmond Jarai, finance minister of Viktor Orban's government, said on Tuesday that he would be prepared to take a post in a Fidesz-led government. "Viktor Orban has made it clear that I should work and I... [read complete entry]
February 24, 2010, 09:35 CET
Police catch bogus Fidesz activists in Budapest
Police yesterday detained three women in the Ninth District who were trying to collect nomination signatures on behalf of Fidesz without any credentials. The three were questioned as suspects and proceedings were launched against them on suspicion of violating the... [read complete entry]
February 24, 2010, 09:04 CET
National Elections Office website defaced by far-right programmer
Early Tuesday morning, valasztas.hu, the website of the National Elections Office was attacked, with the names of the three major parties changed, index.hu reports. The "hacker" (according to the portal it was a case of a poorly written webpage and... [read complete entry]
February 23, 2010, 10:13 CET
President Sólyom, opposition's Orbán lead poll
President Laszlo Solyom was given 47 points out of a maximum of 100 by respondents in a popularity survey by pollster Szonda Ipsos published in Tuesday's Nepszabadsag daily. Viktor Orban, head of the main opposition Fidesz, garnered 44 points -... [read complete entry]
February 23, 2010, 10:10 CET
Forsense projects three-party parliament after elections
Hungarians' inclination to go to the polls at the parliamentary elections this spring is on the increase and three parties will certainly get into parliament, pollster Forsense told MTI on Monday. The number of voters who have a party preference... [read complete entry]
February 22, 2010, 10:17 CET
Socialist PM candidate addresses uncertain voters, say analysts
Prime Minister candidate of the governing Socialist party Attila Mesterhazy addressed uncertain and disillusioned voters in a speech outlining the party's election programme, said analysts polled by MTI on Sunday. The speech addressed opponents within the party as well as... [read complete entry]
February 22, 2010, 10:14 CET
Socialist PM candidate opens campaign promising to renew nation
The Socialist party opened its election campaign on Saturday with its prime-minister candidate promising to modernise the nation and at the same time providing a political home for voters disillusioned by neo-liberalist economic dogma but who feel close to left-wing... [read complete entry]
February 22, 2010, 10:12 CET
Bishop invites Socialist spokesman to talk in pre-election row
A Catholic bishop on Friday invited the ruling Socialist Party's spokesman to a "cordial dialogue" to clarify what he had said at an election rally of the opposition Fidesz party last week. Earlier this week Istvan Nyako called on Laszlo... [read complete entry]
February 22, 2010, 10:03 CET
Campaign experts mull psyche of Hungarian voter
Hungarians are paternalistic, consumption-oriented and pessimistic, a brainstorming conference of researchers and campaign managers seeking a glance into the profile of the typical voter concluded, national daily Nepszabadsag reported on Friday. Addressing voter attitudes before the spring general elections, consultant... [read complete entry]
February 22, 2010, 10:02 CET
Fidesz receives over a million nominations from voters
The Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance has collected over one million nominations, executive director Zsolt Nyitrai announced on Sunday. He said the party's target of two million nominations remains a realistic goal, adding that no other party has collected as many as... [read complete entry]
February 19, 2010, 10:15 CET
Main opposition retains significant lead in 1st month of election campaign
The main opposition Fidesz party has retained its significant lead over its political rivals in February, the first month of the campaign for the general elections in April, according to a poll Szazadveg released to MTI on Thursday. Support for... [read complete entry]
February 19, 2010, 09:12 CET
The Democratic Forum: more independent than even they would prefer
This campaign poster by the Democratic Forum lists three qualities that the party has: being Hungarian, being Democratic, and being independent. Considering how many of the party's former members are now running as independents in the upcoming elections after... [read complete entry]
February 19, 2010, 09:10 CET
Horváth to be finalized as Socialist candidate for Budapest mayoral election
Pending a final vote on the manner, the Socialist Party has assembled its list for the municipal elections to be held this fall, Magyar Nemzet reports, with Csaba Horváth to be the party's Budapest mayoral candidate. Horváth has been vice-mayor... [read complete entry]
February 18, 2010, 02:35 CET
Audio manipulation alleged over controversial comments by Fidesz firebrand
The Egyenlitő blog published a post yesterday that Fidesz firebrand László Kövér was caught on tape saying that Békés County should be turned into a reservoir, that votes should be bought, religion should be part of the census, the police... [read complete entry]
February 18, 2010, 09:54 CET
More details of Socialist platform revealed
A revised tax regime, motorway development and Roma integration are among the ideas in a 60-page policy platform to be presented by prime ministerial candidate Attila Mesterházy at the Socialists opening campaign rally on Saturday. The document speaks of further... [read complete entry]
February 17, 2010, 10:30 CET
Orbán envisions single governing force for next 15-20 years
Viktor Orban, tipped to head the next government after the April elections, said Hungary had a good chance of ridding itself of a divisive political duopoly over the next 15-20 years. This period will be dominated by "one central political... [read complete entry]
February 17, 2010, 10:29 CET
Socialist PM candidate Mesterházy to outline manifesto
Attila Mesterhazy, the Socialist party's prime-minister candidate, will talk through the main points of his political programme at the weekend. Sources close to the party told MTI that highlighted policies will include lengthening the moratorium on the purchase of farmland... [read complete entry]
February 17, 2010, 10:26 CET
Analysts sure of Fidesz victory at elections
Political analysts said on Tuesday that they were are certain the opposition Fidesz party would be power after the April elections but its ability to govern effectively would much depend on whether it manages to secure a two-thirds majority. Addressing... [read complete entry]
February 16, 2010, 12:28 CET
Orbán's "zipped lips" policy could have been more useful the last time
Reading the news post about how Viktor Orbán has asked his party members to keep their mouths shut and avoid making their opinions public, I couldn't help but think of former Fidesz vice-prime ministerial candidate István Mikola's infamous gaffe during... [read complete entry]
February 16, 2010, 10:11 CET
Churches should be strategic partners, says opposition MP
Hungary's new government should handle relations with the churches as an issue of strategic importance, Zoltan Balog, head of Parliament's human rights and religious affairs committee, delegated by the main opposition Fidesz party, told MTI on Tuesday. Balog referred to... [read complete entry]
February 16, 2010, 10:06 CET
MDF, SZDSZ struggling to get nominations from voters
The Democratic Forum and the Free Democrats are experiencing difficulty in collecting nominations from potential voters, Forum MP Miklós Csapody told Klubrádió on Monday. He said both he and Forum deputy chairman Károly Herényi have yet to collect the required... [read complete entry]
February 16, 2010, 10:02 CET
Orbán tells MPs to keep private thoughts to selves
Fidesz candidates must not utter their private opinions during the campaign, party leader Viktor Orbán said Monday at a closed meeting with party MPs. He also spoke about the future nationalist government and the importance of shared national matters. Fidesz... [read complete entry]
February 16, 2010, 09:23 CET
MSZP: All your pensioners are belong to us
How's this for a campaign ad (from subway handout Metropol) that is desperate, condescending and creepy all at the same time? For the Hungarian-challenged, it basically says that pensioners have no choice but to vote for the Socialists, because... [read complete entry]
February 15, 2010, 10:24 CET
Unauthorized persons acting as Fidesz activists
There have been numerous instances of unauthorised persons collecting nomination papers on behalf of Fidesz candidates, according to reports. Some fraudsters are allegedly forging credentials of official activists. Fidesz is reporting each case to the authorities and cautions voters to... [read complete entry]
February 15, 2010, 10:21 CET
Fidesz leaders not to compete individually at elections
Most of Fidesz's senior politicians will not run as individual candidates for Parliament, national council president László Kövér said Sunday. Kövér told state news agency MTI that there is a great chance that Fidesz will win in all 176 individual... [read complete entry]
February 12, 2010, 09:51 CET
Election nominations offered for sale online
Nomination forms are being offered for sale on the internet, with bidding from Ft 500 upwards accepted, according to a report. This practice is illegal. A four-member family in Vas county has offered all of their nominations for sale until... [read complete entry]
February 12, 2010, 09:46 CET
Support for Fidesz slightly down, but party still leads polls
Fidesz support has fallen from 63% of decided voters in January to 58% this month, but the party still commands a huge lead over the Socialists, whose standing rose slightly from 21% to 22%, according to the latest survey by... [read complete entry]
February 12, 2010, 09:44 CET
MDF leader warns of two-thirds "Fidesz-Jobbik" majority
The upcoming elections will determine whether the government will be replaced, for which there is a need, and whether a two-thirds "Fidesz-Jobbik" majority will be prevented, Democratic Forum leader Ibolya Dávid declared in Miskolc on Thursday. Presenting the party's local... [read complete entry]
February 11, 2010, 09:55 CET
Many undecided voters are Socialist supporters, Mesterházy says
Many of the 40% of the electorate who are still unsure about their party preference are Socialist voters, Socialist Party prime ministerial candidate Attila Mesterházy told a 150-strong local campaign forum in Szigetszentmiklós, Pest county on Wednesday evening. Mesterházy claimed... [read complete entry]
February 09, 2010, 01:34 CET
Politicians planning on returning to hospitals, teaching positions and gardening after elections
With Fidesz's wide lead in the polls and the collapse of support for the smaller parties, all but the bigwigs in the Socialist Party are likely to lose their cushy seats in parliament this April. Consequently, Blikk asked a few... [read complete entry]
February 09, 2010, 01:18 CET
Green LMP party optimistic about more than changing politics
Politics Can Be Different (Lehet Más a Politika) is more confident than even we imagined, according to a report by mno.hu. According to the Fidesz-friendly newspaper, Gábor Ivády of the party's national campaign organization said that if the party can... [read complete entry]
February 09, 2010, 09:21 CET
Socialists initiate parliamentary debate over Hungary's situation
The ruling Socialist Party will initiate a parliamentary discussion on Hungary's real situation in February, a senior party official told reporters on Monday. "We should respond to the accusations that "Hungary has collapsed and everything has gone wrong over the... [read complete entry]
February 09, 2010, 09:18 CET
Vote for Jobbik wasted, Orbán says in TV interview
Viktor Orban, who is tipped to head the next government after the April general election, said a vote for Jobbik, a radical nationalist force which polls show is gathering strength, would be wasted. "What can a party which has at... [read complete entry]
February 08, 2010, 10:12 CET
Democratic Forum PM candidate Bokros presents program
What Hungary needs is a "clever and transparent" state, Lajos Bokros, prime minister candidate of the small conservative Democratic Forum, said in his programme speech on Sunday. "A strong society, strong democracy, strong economy, and strong businesses are needed," he... [read complete entry]
February 04, 2010, 09:57 CET
Bokros to deliver "state of the nation" speech on Sunday
The Prime Minister nominee of the conservative opposition Democratic Forum (MDF) party will deliver his "state of the nation" speech and present the party's election programme on Sunday, deputy party leader Karoly Herenyi said on Wednesday. The speech by Lajos... [read complete entry]
February 02, 2010, 09:36 CET
MDF calls for "price tag" on campaign promises
Hungary's small conservative Democratic Forum has called on the Fiscal Council to put a price tag on parties' election promises, the party's deputy leader Karoly Herenyi told the press on Monday. MDF advocates transparency in the campaign and suggests that... [read complete entry]
February 01, 2010, 10:05 CET
Green LMP names national list leaders
Hungary's new Green party, Politics Can Be Different (LMP) decided in a congress on Sunday whom to put in the top 15 slots on their national list for the April general elections. Andras Schiffer, who is topping the list, told... [read complete entry]
February 01, 2010, 10:03 CET
MDF approves program, cooperation with liberals
The national delegates of the small conservative Democratic Forum approved the party's election programme and cooperation with the liberal Free Democrats in Budapest, the chairman of the party's national board told a news conference on Saturday. The national board's decision... [read complete entry]
February 01, 2010, 10:00 CET
Fidesz removes MP from national list for comments on property tax
Fidesz is removing MP László Mádi from its national list as his stance on the property tax runs counter to its official position. Mádi, who was the party's housing policy expert, told a conference on Thursday that "following adequate planning... [read complete entry]
January 29, 2010, 10:26 CET
Opposition Fidesz aims at two-thirds majority
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz party is aiming at winning a two-thirds majority at the parliamentary elections in April, Laszlo Kover, head of the party's national board, told reporters in Szolnok (C) on Thursday. Kover said his party needed an absolute... [read complete entry]
January 29, 2010, 10:23 CET
MDF, SZDSZ plan election cooperation in Budapest
Two small opposition parties, the conservative Democratic Forum (MDF) and the liberal Free Democrats (SZDSZ), have sealed a pact to cooperate in Budapest's electoral districts in the spring parliamentary elections, an MDF official said on Thursday. Under the plan, SZDSZ... [read complete entry]
January 29, 2010, 10:16 CET
Socialists seek cooperation on pensioner ticket
Hungary's ruling Socialists, courting the pensioner vote ahead of the spring elections, are seeking alliance with a powerful pensioner pressure group Tisztelet Tarsasag (Respect Society), national daily Nepszabadsag reported on Friday. The organisation comprises 820 pensioner clubs and has 142,000... [read complete entry]
January 28, 2010, 10:01 CET
Gap narrows, main opposition Fidesz's lead remains
Although the gap of support between main opposition Fidesz and the ruling Socialists has narrowed in January compared to last November, Fidesz's lead over its main rival has remained significant, according to a poll by Tarki released to MTI on... [read complete entry]
January 28, 2010, 09:49 CET
Fidesz seen to win two-thirds majority in next parliament
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz and its ally Christian Democrats could win two-thirds of the seats plus nine more in the next parliament, according to an optimal scenario developed in a poll by Nezopont Intezet sent to MTI on Wednesday. Nezopont... [read complete entry]
January 28, 2010, 09:09 CET
Analysts predict a majority of pensioners will vote for the Socialists
According to political scientist Zoltán Kiszelly, the majority of pensioners - who he added did not suffer injustices after 1945 - traditionally vote for the the left, napi.hu reports. Pensioners are also one of the largest and most reliable groups... [read complete entry]
January 27, 2010, 09:44 CET
Small conservative party MDF calls for "cost of promises calculator"
The small conservative opposition Democratic Forum has called for setting up an indicator which shows the budgetary implications of each party's campaign promises, the party's deputy leader Karoly Herenyi told the press on Tuesday. He said the idea behind introducing... [read complete entry]
January 26, 2010, 04:34 CET
Footballer agrees to be a "Face of Fidesz", reveals he's not familiar with campaign promises
PSV Eindhoven and Hungarian national team star Balázs Dzsudzsák has agreed to be one of Fidesz's campaign faces in the lead up to the elections in April this year, despite stating that he does not support any of the political... [read complete entry]
January 26, 2010, 04:17 CET
Fake campaign posters even better than the real thing
As much as real campaign posters are an integral part of any election campaign, there's always a slew of fake posters that are willing to say the things the big parties won't for fear of being sued for libel.... [read complete entry]
January 25, 2010, 09:45 CET
Bokros outlines Democratic Forum election platform
The election platform of the Democratic Forum will be built on a more proportionate, just and broader based tax system and on increasing the employment rate, Forum candidate for prime minister Lajos Bokros announced on Sunday. A radical and social... [read complete entry]
January 25, 2010, 09:40 CET
Opposition leader Orbán heads popularity list
None of Hungary's politicians are rated positively by voters in the latest Szonda Ipsos popularity survey published in Monday's Nepszabadsag daily but Viktor Orban, the leader of conservative Fidesz, is the least negatively rated. Most of Orban's 45 points out... [read complete entry]
January 25, 2010, 09:38 CET
Hungary's distorted election map still problem
Hungary's parliament has to date not remedied a problem regarding the distorted size of the country's electoral wards, MTI learnt on Saturday. Despite a ruling by the constitutional court in 2005 calling on parliament to review the size of wards... [read complete entry]
January 25, 2010, 09:02 CET
Sólyom sets elections for April 11, 25
The two rounds of the parliamentary elections will be held on April 11 and 25, President László Sólyom announced on Friday, thereby kicking off the election campaign. Socialist chairwoman Ildikó Lendvai welcomed the announcement, saying it is good news for... [read complete entry]
January 22, 2010, 10:09 CET
Hungarians not warmed up for political campaign yet
Hungarians showed little interest in party politics in January, just a few months before general elections, according to a survey by pollster Forsense published on Thursday. The most talked-about topics so far in 2010 have been the financial scandals and... [read complete entry]
January 21, 2010, 09:40 CET
Opposition Fidesz forecast to get two-thirds majority at elections
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz party will gain two-thirds majority in Parliament after the general elections this spring if voting inclination remains unchanged, weekly HVG reported quoting a Median poll in its issue to be published on Thursday but sent to... [read complete entry]
January 20, 2010, 09:11 CET
Democratic Forum hopeful of 8% election result
Democratic Forum campaign chief Zoltán Somogyi said Tuesday he would not be surprised if the party won more than 8% of the votes in the parliamentary elections. The party will formally launch its election campaign on February 1, with billboard... [read complete entry]
January 19, 2010, 10:14 CET
Retkes says centrist alliance can hit 10% mark at elections
The alliance of the Free Democrats and the Democratic Forum forms a "democratic centre" which could win 10% of votes in the parliamentary elections, Free Democrat chairman Attila Retkes told Népszabadság on Monday. The party is also holding talks with... [read complete entry]
January 18, 2010, 10:59 CET
Poll forecasting low voter turnout at upcoming general election
Hungarian voters appear to be apathetic ahead of the general election which is expected to take place in mid April, according to a Szonda Ipsos poll published by Nepszabadsag daily on Monday. Whereas last time round, in spring 2006, 54... [read complete entry]
January 18, 2010, 10:54 CET
Radical nationalists preparing for election victory
The radical nationalist Jobbik party has prepared for the election campaign and is ready to take over government "in the interest of saving the country", party leader Gabor Vona told a press conference in Budapest on Saturday. Vona, who is... [read complete entry]
January 15, 2010, 10:26 CET
Prime Minister stresses he took post for no longer than a year
"The upcoming elections will be a struggle between responsibility and demagoguery, window dressing and power lust," Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said in an interview with the weekly 168 Óra on Thursday. Asked whether he will return to politics for the... [read complete entry]
January 14, 2010, 10:13 CET
Gov't announces moratorium on big decisions for six-week pre-election period
The Socialist government will not make any major decisions - on personnel, state investments or subsidies - in the six-week period before the election, the government spokesman said on Wednesday. Domokos Szollar said that Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai had told... [read complete entry]
January 14, 2010, 10:00 CET
Liberals will not field candidates in general elections
The Free Democrats will not stand at the parliamentary elections this year after signing an agreement with the Democratic Forum, Forum deputy chairman Károly Herényi told a press briefing on Wednesday. He said several Free Democrat politicians will be put... [read complete entry]
January 14, 2010, 09:58 CET
Liberals in election talks with small conservative party
Hungary's embattled liberal party is in talks with the small conservative Democratic Forum on possible cooperation in the upcoming general election, people close to the negotiations told MTI on Thursday. The liberal Free Democrats, which once formed a coalition with... [read complete entry]
January 13, 2010, 09:31 CET
Democratic Forum may field Liberals, former US ambassador in 2010 elections
Former ambassador to Washington Andras Simonyi is planned to top the Budapest list of conservative opposition MDF party candidates in the 2010 general elections, daily Nepszava said on Tuesday, quoting unnamed sources. The paper also said that MDF and the... [read complete entry]
January 12, 2010, 04:07 CET
Is Banjai unwittingly setting up Fidesz for a euro-fuelled re-election in 2014?
On Sunday Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai stressed that Hungary could beat the remaining central European countries already not in the eurozone into the club, provided Fidesz doesn't blow it. My guess is that Bajnai was not really playing politics in... [read complete entry]