mdf
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, 09:40 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 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 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 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]
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, 10:19 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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, 10:03 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]
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 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 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, 11:09 CET
Ex-premier Péter Boross quits MDF
Former prime minister Peter Boross confirmed for MTI on Monday that he would quit the conservative Democratic Forum (MDF) party. The 81-year-old politician said he had informed the party board in a private letter about his intention but declined to... [read complete entry]
January 25, 2010, 12:09 CET
Socialist youth organization leader slams MDF and SZDSZ over their "anti-panel" attitudes
Péter Oroszvári, the vice chairman of Societas-Új Mozgalom, which is more or less the Socialist Party's youth group and successor to the Fiatal Baloldal, has denounced what he said were Democratic Forum and Free Democratic plans to remove the top... [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 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, 09:11 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 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 19, 2010, 07:27 CET
Did Democratic Forum unwittingly reveal who is really running the show?
Many have noted the rise to prominence of former Finance Minister Lajos Bokros within the Democratic Forum, but apparently, he's even secretly usurped party chairwoman Ibolya Dávid's position. At least that would appear to be the case as noted... [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 15, 2010, 10:29 CET
Poll shows over 40% of voters support Fidesz
Over 40% of voters support Fidesz taking the reins of power after the elections, while 17% back the Socialists, a Forsense poll conducted from December 8-17 suggests. Regarding other parties, 12% favour Jobbik, 10% the Democratic Forum, 7% the Free... [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 06, 2010, 01:41 CET
MDF head says Bokros only serious challenger to Orbán
The results of last year's European Parliamentary elections prove that there is room in Hungary for a responsible conservative party, leader of the Democratic Forum Ibolya David told MTI in an interview on Wednesday. David insisted that the party's candidate... [read complete entry]
January 06, 2010, 08:08 CET
President declines MDF request for national summit
President Laszlo Solyom "sees no point" in calling a national summit before the general elections, as requested by the small conservative Democratic Forum, a senior official of the president's office said on public radio on Tuesday. The national summit --... [read complete entry]
December 23, 2009, 09:53 CET
Politicians' prestige suffers in 2009, but pecking order remains stable
The prestige of Hungarian politicians generally declined in 2009 but their ranking remained by and large unchanged over the past year, national daily Nepszabadsag said on Wednesday, citing a recent Szonda Ipsos poll. Hungary's relatively most popular politician is President... [read complete entry]
December 22, 2009, 10:32 CET
Jobbik leader Vona rejects debate challenge by MDF's Bokros
Democratic Forum prime ministerial candidate Lajos Bokros has challenged Jobbik leader Gábor Vona to a public debate. Vona has rejected the invitation. In a letter to Vona, Bokros asked for 90 minutes to prove that Jobbik's policies will destroy and... [read complete entry]
December 22, 2009, 10:21 CET
Poll shows Fidesz support among decided voters near 65%
Public support for the main opposition Fidesz party was 31 percent among all voters in December, up 5 percent from the previous month, while the governing Socialists stayed at 9 percent, according to a Szazadveg-Forsense poll sent to MTI on... [read complete entry]
December 18, 2009, 11:39 CET
Bokros: Don't bother voting for me or my party, honestly
As expected, last weekend the struggling Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) nominated Lajos Bokros as its candidate for prime minister in the next general elections. Apparently the party figures that having the famously/infamously strict former finance minister as its public face... [read complete entry]
December 17, 2009, 10:06 CET
Tarki poll shows Fidesz lead narrowing, bare majority willing to vote
The significant lead of the main opposition Fidesz party ahead of the ruling Socialists has somewhat narrowed while support for non-parliamentary parties has increased over the past month, according to a Tarki poll sent to MTI on Wednesday. Fidesz currently... [read complete entry]
December 14, 2009, 11:13 CET
Liberals approve new program at weekend party congress
Delegates at the Saturday congress of the liberal Free Democrats approved the party's programme for the period 2010-2014, the party's leader told a news conference. The programme was endorsed by an overwhelming majority, said Attila Retkes. Delegates also voted to... [read complete entry]
December 14, 2009, 10:17 CET
Bokros voted MDF nominee for PM
The Democratic Forum national council elected Horn-era finance minister Lajos Bokros as its candidate for prime minister with an over 90% majority on Saturday, the party announced. The Forum explained in a statement that 61 delegates had voted in favour... [read complete entry]
December 11, 2009, 09:27 CET
Opposition's lead narrows in latest poll
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz party still has a commanding lead over the rival ruling Socialists but the gap between the two frontrunners has narrowed slightly, a poll by Ipsos published in Thursday's Nepszabadsag said. In the whole voter sample, Fidesz's... [read complete entry]
December 07, 2009, 12:35 CET
Addition of Debreczeni to Democratic Forum list will probably backfire
Not so long ago I wrote that the Democratic Forum may be the surprise performer in next year's elections. I'm no longer as convinced of that. Last week, the Democratic Forum announced that the journalist and author József Debreczeni (pictured... [read complete entry]
November 26, 2009, 10:05 CET
Fidesz retains wide lead ahead of ruling Socialists in fresh Tarki poll
The main opposition Fidesz party maintained its significant lead ahead of the ruling Socialists in the poll conducted by Tarki in November. The radical nationalist Jobbik would be the only other party to clear the 5 percent threshold to win... [read complete entry]
November 24, 2009, 03:15 CET
Dávid offers to resign if Democratic Forum doesn't enter parliament next year
Demoratic Forum Chairwoman Ibolya Dávid has said that she would resign her post if her party failed to reach the 5% threshold to enter parliament in next year's elections, Bors reports. Dávid added, however, that she believes this would be... [read complete entry]
November 13, 2009, 08:51 CET
Szonda Ipsos poll sees Socialists, Jobbik making slight gains
Hungary's governing Socialists have slightly risen from their low point, though conservative opposition Fidesz maintains a massive lead, according to a November poll by Szonda Ipsos carried in Friday's Nepszabadsag daily. Support for the Socialists among all voters rose two... [read complete entry]
November 11, 2009, 09:45 CET
Retkes proposes Bokros as joint MSZP-SZDSZ-MDF candidate for PM
Former finance minister Lajos Bokros should run as the joint candidate for prime minister of the Socialists, the Free Democrats and the Democratic Forum at next year's parliamentary elections, Free Democrat chairman Attila Retkes suggested. In an interview published on... [read complete entry]
November 10, 2009, 07:28 CET
Hungarians see Socialists as most corrupt political party
A new poll by the Nézőpont Intézet has returned the unsurprising results that of those willing to state their belief that a political party is corrupt, the Socialists came in first with 23%, with the Free Democrats coming in second... [read complete entry]
October 29, 2009, 09:57 CET
Tarki poll gives Fidesz fourfold leads over Socialists
The main opposition Fidesz party increased its support to be four times higher among the voting-age population ahead of the ruling Socialists in October, a poll released to MTI by the Tarki institute on Wednesday showed. Support for Fidesz this... [read complete entry]
October 27, 2009, 10:54 CET
MDF will not cooperate with Liberals in next election
The small conservative opposition Democratic Party is not planning to cooperate with the liberal Free Democrats at next year's general elections, party leader Ibolya David told daily Nepszabadsag on Tuesday. David said there was no party in Hungary today whose... [read complete entry]
October 22, 2009, 09:33 CET
Survey finds majority of Hungarians uninterested in voting
Hungarians are growing increasingly disillusioned with politics, with only 43% of respondents to a Medián poll showing willingness to turn out if elections were held this Sunday. The figure compares to 63% in 2001 and 50% in 2005. Confirming the... [read complete entry]
October 14, 2009, 09:56 CET
MDF said to be mulling coalition with Fidesz
The Hungarian Democratic Forum, a small conservative party, is considering burying the hatchet and re-forming a coalition with main opposition party Fidesz after the election, the party's parliamentary group leader said in an interview with Wednesday's Nepszabadsag daily. Karoly Herenyi... [read complete entry]
October 12, 2009, 09:24 CET
Fidesz, Jobbik seen as most visible Hungarian parties in European Parliament
MEPs representing Fidesz and Jobbik have been the most active from among Hungary's 22 delegates in Brussels, according to Policy Solutions, a Budapest-based think-tank. Assessing the work of Hungarian MEPs in September, the think-tank said main opposition Fidesz deputies had... [read complete entry]
October 09, 2009, 10:31 CET
MDF leader addresses congress of British Conservatives
Populism and political demagoguery have once again "become popular" in Europe, conservative opposition MDF leader Ibolya David told the British Conservative Party congress on Thursday. David is an honorary guest at the event in Manchester. She said Europe was facing... [read complete entry]
October 05, 2009, 10:55 CET
Mayor embroiled in furor over Roma claim unrepentant, vows to sue
The local mayor who has accused Roma women in his town of intentionally harming their unborn babies in order to secure extra child benefits told MTI on Sunday that he stood by his view, and vowed to launch a legal... [read complete entry]
September 30, 2009, 09:21 CET
Democratic Forum chairwoman featured in upcoming issue of Playboy
Before some of you get excited, no, Democratic Forum Chairwoman is not the subject of a celebrity pictorial in the upcoming issue of Hungarian Playboy; that distinction goes to television presenter Klaudia Liptai. Dávid, however, is this month's celebrity interview... [read complete entry]
September 16, 2009, 09:36 CET
Parliament's immunity committee delays decision on MDF leaders
Parliament's immunity committee on Tuesday asked for more documents from the Prosecutor General and put off a decision on suspending the right of Democratic Forum chairwoman Ibolya Dávid and MP Károly Herényi to immunity from prosecution. The prosecutors asked Parliament... [read complete entry]
September 14, 2009, 09:51 CET
New Szonda Ipsos survey shows Fidesz lead slipping
Fidesz's popularity among decided voters dropped from 65% in July to 60% in September, while that of the Socialists rose from 21% to 23%, according to a Szonda Ipsos survey. The poll suggests that Fidesz has lost 800,000 supporters since... [read complete entry]
September 09, 2009, 10:27 CET
Fidesz under pressure over remarks about unborn Roma children
Instead of a conspiracy of silence in the case of an MP who claimed Roma women deliberately harmed their unborn children in order to receive higher state benefits, the leadership of main opposition Fidesz should take steps which are conversant... [read complete entry]
September 04, 2009, 10:37 CET
Hungarian MEPs unite to fight Slovak language law
Hungarian MEPs of all political stripes are agreed that they must do all that they can to ensure that Slovakia's language law is withdrawn, Katalin Szili, Hungary's parliamentary speaker, said on Thursday. After talks with MEPs, Szili said that representatives... [read complete entry]
August 31, 2009, 11:36 CET
Furore erupts over Fidesz calls to ban Gay Pride march
The ruling Socialist Party called upon the main opposition Fidesz party to recall its representative, Ilona Ekes, from Parliament's human rights committee because of her recent homophobic remarks, Socialist MP Zsolt Torok told MTI on Sunday. Ibolya David, leader of... [read complete entry]
August 27, 2009, 09:32 CET
Popularity of Socialist Party approaches single figures
Support for the Socialist Party among decided party voters has fallen to 10%, according to a poll by the conservative think-tank Nézõpont Intézet. The survey found 52% support for Fidesz and 6% for the far right Jobbik. Neither the Democratic... [read complete entry]
August 13, 2009, 09:34 CET
Szonda-Ipsos poll puts Fidesz support at 63%; MSZP below 20%
Fidesz has 63% support among decided party voters, the Socialists 18% and Jobbik 12%, a Szonda-Ipsos poll found. The Democratic Forum had 2%, and the Free Democrats and Politics Can Be Different 1% each. The Christian Democrats have negligible support,... [read complete entry]
July 30, 2009, 10:43 CET
Poll finds Jobbik becoming "medium-sized" party
Hungary's radical nationalist Jobbik has strengthened to become a stable medium-sized party, whereas the liberal Free Democrats have nearly lost its supporters after the June 7 European parliamentary elections, a recent poll Marketing Centrum sent to MTI on Wednesday shows.... [read complete entry]
July 27, 2009, 10:22 CET
Bokros presses government to make deeper structural reforms
The crisis measures of Hungary's Bajnai government do not go nearly deep enough and the country will suffer unless serious structural reforms are undertaken, Lajos Bokros, a Democratic Forum MEP said in an interview in Monday's Nepszabadsag daily. The situation... [read complete entry]
July 27, 2009, 10:11 CET
PM calls for cooperation between government, opposition parties
Hungary's Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai on Friday asked the political parties to cooperate with the government in its efforts to manage the current crisis. In a letter sent to party group leaders and Ibolya David, head of the small conservative... [read complete entry]
July 22, 2009, 09:32 CET
Senior MDF official says parties must cooperate to block Jobbik
All democratic forces should be mobilised in order to erect a wall to obstruct radical nationalist party Jobbik, a senior official of the Democratic Forum told a news conference on Tuesday. Szabolcs Kerek-Barczy said that while a political consensus had... [read complete entry]
July 20, 2009, 11:37 CET
Bokros says local councils need sweeping reform
Hungary's local councils need to be fundamentally reformed rather than tinkered with, Lajos Bokros, MEP of the conservative Democratic Forum, told public television on Monday. Bokros, a former finance minister, said that government measures to change the financing of municipalities... [read complete entry]
July 15, 2009, 08:19 CET
Szonda-Ipsos poll puts Fidesz over MSZP 65%-21%
Fidesz now has the support of 65% of decided party voters, down from 66% in June, while the Socialists have 21%, up from 19%, according to a Szonda-Ipsos poll. The radical right Jobbik is a clear third at 9%, down... [read complete entry]
July 10, 2009, 10:31 CET
Poll puts Fidesz on 40%; MSZP and Jobbik only others above 5%
If general elections were held in Hungary this week, three parties would make it into parliament: main opposition Fidesz, the governing Socialists and radical nationalist Jobbik, pollster Progressive Institute told MTI on Friday. The poll prepared by interviewing 3,500 people... [read complete entry]
July 01, 2009, 10:41 CET
Fidesz mayor of Debrecen tops political popularity survey; Orbán gains
Politicians of the main opposition Fidesz party gained in popularity and strengthened their lead over their Socialist rivals in June, pollster Szazadveg-Forsense told MTI on Tuesday. The popularity list is topped by Lajos Kosa, deputy leader of Fidesz and mayor... [read complete entry]
June 29, 2009, 10:07 CET
MDF head refutes blackmail claim; charges prosecutorial misconduct
Ibolya Dávid accused the prosecutor's office of violating the law and denied that she had committed a crime against OTP chairman-CEO Sándor Csányi on MTV's "Nap-kelte" talk show on Saturday morning. Dávid also accused the prosecutor's office of using the... [read complete entry]
June 26, 2009, 10:09 CET
Poll suggests SZDSZ "obliterated" as support falls below 1%
The liberal Free Democrats are on their way out and the radical nationalist Jobbik is on its way into parliament, pollster Szazadveg said on Thursday. Further, the new green party LMP (Politics can be Different) is catching up with the... [read complete entry]
June 25, 2009, 10:06 CET
Socialists, Jobbik tied in new poll; first dip below 10% for MSZP
Support for the Socialists is 9% among decided voters, the same as for the far-right Jobbik, according to a Nézőpont Institute poll conducted for Heti Válasz. This is the first time that Socialist support has ever polled below 10%, the... [read complete entry]
June 23, 2009, 09:30 CET
Fidesz, MDF chiefs squabble over proposal for cooperation
Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán on Monday responded to a political proposal made by Democratic Forum chairwoman Ibolya Dávid that he "had never been in a situation where a woman had forced herself upon him like this". Dávid had suggested on... [read complete entry]
June 22, 2009, 10:28 CET
Dávid re-elected head of MDF in disputed vote at weekend congress
Ibolya David, leader of the conservative opposition Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF), was re-elected overwhelmingly in a show of hands at the party's national meeting on Saturday, MDF Spokesperson Szabolcs Kerek-Barczy told MTI. Of the 378 eligible voters, 274 delegates participated... [read complete entry]
June 18, 2009, 10:27 CET
Fidesz MEPs snub Bokros, but say willing to work with Jobbik
Hungary's main conservative opposition Fidesz will not invite Lajos Bokros, a former Socialist-liberal finance minister who is now an MEP representing the junior conservative Democratic Forum, to its Europe-related policy strategy meetings, a senior Fidesz official told MTI on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
June 12, 2009, 10:00 CET
EP vote indicates Fidesz could have won "supermajority" in general election
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz-KDNP would have acquired two-thirds majority support if the general elections had been held instead of the European Parliamentary elections on June 7, dailies Nepszabadsag and Magyar Nemzet reported on Friday quoting pollster Nezopont Institute. The Fidesz-KDNP... [read complete entry]