fidesz
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 11, 2010, 09:39 CET
President Sólyom signs Holocaust denial bill
President Laszlo Solyom on Wednesday signed a recent law on penalising Holocaust denial, a senior official of the president's office, told MTI. Solyom signed the law since it does not contravene the Constitution, said Ferenc Kumin. At the same time,... [read complete entry]
March 10, 2010, 09:46 CET
Ruling Socialists cancel policy debates
The ruling Socialists have decided to cancel the policy debates planned between senior ministry officials and experts of the main opposition Fidesz party, the party spokeswoman told MTI on Wednesday. At the first of the three debates the Socialists initiated... [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 08, 2010, 10:26 CET
Fidesz campaigning for "three strikes law"
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz party will immediately introduce a "three strikes law", or stricter sentences for repeat offenders, if it forms the next government, the party's MEP Pal Schmitt said during a campaign tour in west Hungary on Friday. While... [read complete entry]
March 08, 2010, 09:43 CET
Fidesz, Jobbik have shared aims, Tarlós says
Fidesz and Jobbik have common goals; the difference lies only in the methods, Budapest city council Fidesz caucus leader István Tarlós told local forums in Budapest last week. Tarlós said the two parties agree that people must be held accountable,... [read complete entry]
March 05, 2010, 10:15 CET
Poll reveals Jobbik scores better among young people than Socialists
For the first time, radical nationalist party Jobbik is more popular among young Hungarians than the Socialist party is, the outcome of a poll by Forsense showed on Thursday. In the 18-24 age group, Jobbik is twice as popular as... [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, 01:10 CET
Bajnai declares that the extremists are already in the courtyard
“The extremists are in the courtyard and are knocking on the doors of the house of democracy,” Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said at a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the national security forces on Tuesday. He said Hungary is... [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 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, 10:38 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, 10:36 CET
Gov't, ministry, Socialists see no reason for defence minister's resignation
Neither the government, nor the Defence Ministry, or the ruling Socialist Party see a necessity for Defence Minister Imre Szekeres to resign over a suspected bribery case involving a business owned by, and operating under the control of, the ministry.... [read complete entry]
February 25, 2010, 11:50 CET
Countries step up cooperation, sign joint declaration at Budapest energy summit
Participants of an energy summit held in Budapest on Wednesday signed a joint declaration on stepping up cooperation and making energy security a priority. Hungary's Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said the signing of a joint declaration was a milestone in... [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 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, 12:07 CET
Slovak PM expresses concerns over losing "special relationship" with Hungary
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has expressed his opinion that a Fidesz electoral victory in April would lead to strained relations between Hungary and Slovakia, mno.hu reports, unlike the status quo which is just peachy. Fico stated that if Fidesz... [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 23, 2010, 10:08 CET
PM urges Socialists, Fidesz to jointly combat extremism
Hungary's Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai on Monday urged cooperation against extremism between the ruling Socialists and main opposition Fidesz Addressing parliament's last pre-election session, Bajnai said Fidesz leader Viktor Orban and the Socialist PM-candidate Attila Mesterhazy had one thing in... [read complete entry]
February 23, 2010, 09:54 CET
Hungarian MPs criminalize Holocaust denial
The denial of the Holocaust will be punishable by law under a bill passed by Parliament on Monday afternoon. Those who publicly deny the Holocaust, call it into doubt or present it as insignificant may be sentenced to up to... [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, 10:12 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 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, 02:24 CET
Fidesz to launch new investigation into police brutality in 2006
According to index.hu, Fidesz plans to launch an investigation into former Budapest police chief Péter Gergényi and national police chief László Bene over police brutality during the riots in the fall of 2006. What makes this extra interesting is that... [read complete entry]
February 18, 2010, 10:08 CET
Poll shows decline of support for Fidesz, but party still retains strong lead
Support for opposition party Fidesz declined in February, two months ahead of the general election, but the conservative party still retained a big lead against the ruling Socialists, pollster Nezopont said on Wednesday. Among active voters, Fidesz's support fell to... [read complete entry]
February 18, 2010, 10:00 CET
Former health minister slams Orbán's pálinka policy
Former health minister Mihály Kökény yesterday denounced a proposal to legalise the home brewing of pálinka made by Fidesz leader Viktor Orbán last week. Orbán announced while campaigning in the countryside last week that Fidesz would allow the distilling of... [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 17, 2010, 10:23 CET
Fidesz mayor suspected of misuse of funds goes on trial
Péter Fenyves, the Fidesz mayor of Mór, went on trial on suspicion of misuse of funds at the Székesfehérvár municipal court on Tuesday. Fenyves denies committing any such crime The Mór local council sold ten hectares of land to its... [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, 10:02 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, 09:32 CET
Socialists, Fidesz on IMF statements
Hungary's governing Socialists welcomed an IMF-EU delegation's remarks on Monday on the country's finances while main opposition Fidesz said it is clear the economic crisis had been deepened by the current government. Lajos Szabo, a Socialist member of parliament's budget... [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 12, 2010, 09:36 CET
Fidesz calls on Budapest mayor to resign over transport company scandal
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz on Thursday said Budapest Mayor Gabor Demszky should resign over scandals at Budapest transport company BKV. Istvan Gyorgy, head of the municipal committee investigating fraud allegations at BKV, insisted that large companies owned by the local... [read complete entry]
February 11, 2010, 10:00 CET
Next gov't to be constrained by economy, head of Orbán's office says
Hungary's next government will have to operate within the confines of the actual situation of the economy, Peter Szijjarto, who heads the office of Fidesz leader Viktor Orban, told MTI in an interview. Szijjarto said, however, that a Fidesz government's... [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 08, 2010, 10:13 CET
Survey finds Orbán's speech given C+ by public
The state-of-the-nation speech by main opposition Fidesz leader Viktor Orban got a C+ in a Median survey published in Monday's Nepszabadsag. Canvassed on the day after the Friday speech, about 80 percent of respondents were aware of Orban's address and... [read complete entry]
February 08, 2010, 10:10 CET
Orbán's state of the nation speech "risk-free," say analysts
Viktor Orban, head of the main opposition Fidesz party, made his state of the nation speech without statements involving any political risk and addressing voters at the centre, analysts told MTI on Friday. Agoston Samuel Mraz of the Nezopont Institute... [read complete entry]
February 08, 2010, 09:46 CET
Orbán calls for strong gov't in state of the nation speech
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz party is ready to form a "strong, responsible and proactive government" Fidesz leader Viktor Orban said in his traditional state of the nation address at Budapest's Millenaris Park on Friday. He added, however, that one had... [read complete entry]
February 05, 2010, 12:06 CET
US Ambassador compares Orbán to former President Clinton
US ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis says Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán reminds her of former US President Bill Clinton in an interview in the latest HVG. Clinton was also full of passion for people and took over governing with a high... [read complete entry]
February 04, 2010, 10:03 CET
Mesterházy sends online message to Fidesz
Socialist Party prime ministerial candidate Attila Mesterházy has asked Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán to be sincere when he delivers his "state of the nation" address on Friday. Mesterházy said in a message posted on the website YouTube that Orbán should... [read complete entry]
February 04, 2010, 10:00 CET
Orbán promises end to era of volatile governing
The current era of hectic, unpredictable and unreliable government decision-making is over, and one of partnership will arrive in Hungary, Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán told MTI from Frankfurt after meeting leaders of the German Machine and Building Industry Federation on... [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 03, 2010, 09:13 CET
Parliamentary committee meets over 2006 data disclosure scandal
Hungary's parliamentary budget and finance committee met on Tuesday to discuss opposition charges over the government's handling of financial data in 2006, prior to the general elections. Ferenc Gyurcsany, the incumbent prime minister at the time, was invited to attend... [read complete entry]
February 01, 2010, 10:31 CET
Socialist PM candidate Mesterházy pledges certainty, calm
Socialist prime ministerial candidate Attila Mesterházy promised "certainty and calm" to a forum of nearly 1,000 pensioners at Budapest's Millenáris Park at the weekend. Opening the party campaign rally, Mesterházy said pensioners are not playthings, and need certainty, safety and... [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, 10:16 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, 09:52 CET
Analysts consider campaign value of axed property tax
Political analysts polled on Wednesday told MTI that the constitutional court's decision to scrap a part of the new property tax hurt the ruling Socialist Party, but could also have some negative implications for the rival opposition Fidesz. The ruling... [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, 09:47 CET
Fidesz launches legal suit against former PM, finance ministry
Opposition Fidesz has launched a legal suit against former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany and the finance minister at the time Janos Veres, accusing them of having misled the electorate with inaccurate data on the situation of Hungary's budget, a Fidesz... [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, 09:34 CET
Lagest opposition party Fidesz retains huge lead in polls
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz has maintained its huge lead, with 33 percent of all respondents of a recent poll backing the conservative party as against 16 percent for the governing Socialists. Pollster Szazadveg told MTI on Tuesday that Fidesz had... [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, 03:08 CET
Prime Minister to sue documentary maker and daily for libel
Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai is turning to the courts over an interview conducted with László Pesty in daily Helyi Téma, which was subsequently reproduced in a documentary by Pesty, government portal magyarorszag.hu announced. The name of Pesty's documentary is "Time... [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, 09:02 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, 02:05 CET
Small parties call on big parties to recall Radio and Television Board members
According to kreativ.hu, the newly harmonious alliance between the Democratic Forum and Free Democrats has called for Fidesz and the Socialists to pull their delegates from the National Radio and Television Board (ORTT), following its controversial radio license decision. Democratic... [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, 09:13 CET
Fidesz to send letter to pensioners about promises, dangers
Fidesz announced on Tuesday it will mail letters to pensioners outlining its promises affecting them. The party has recently denied that it would adjust the current pension regime after its former finance minister Mihály Varga spoke in an interview with... [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 19, 2010, 09:24 CET
Liberal leader seeks centrist coalition
Hungary's liberal Free Democrats are seeking to cooperate with several centrist parties in the hope of heading off what current polls indicate will be a three-party parliament, with conservative Fidesz and radical Jobbik on the right facing the Socialist party... [read complete entry]
January 18, 2010, 11:05 CET
Government begins info campaign on achievements
The government will launch a two-week campaign today to inform the public of what it has done to improve their everyday life. Ads based on the slogan "More than Just Crisis Management" will appear in most national newspapers as well... [read complete entry]
January 18, 2010, 11:03 CET
Poll reveals only Jobbik gaining in popularity
Support for Hungary's two largest parties remains unchanged from December, as Fidesz is preferred by 63% of decided voters, and the Socialists by 21%, according to the latest Szonda-Ipsos poll. Jobbik's support grew from 10% last month to 12% in... [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]