Steven N.
The Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) removed one of its MPs, Ildikó Bangóné Borbély (pictured), from the party yesterday after reports surfaced over the weekend that she had misrepresented her academic credentials to the public.
According to her public CV, the Socialist politician received an economics degree from the Budapest Business School in 2013. Pro-government news site Mandiner sent a public interest request to the college to determine if Bangóné had indeed attended the school, and if so, for how long, what exams she took, and if she received a diploma.
We have no data in the student system related to the person you have asked about.
-the higher education institution answered the media request. Mandiner also checked with the Office of the National Assembly about the matter, but was told that the office did not have the competence to check the CVs of its members. Bangóné herself did not respond to Mandiner’s questions about the matter.
After the news was publicized on Saturday, MSZP released a statement the next day:
At an extraordinary meeting of the National Presidency of the MSZP on January 23, 2022, it was determined that Ildikó Bangóné Borbély had deceived the public and the Hungarian Socialist Party community regarding her educational attainment, thus we are parting our political paths from each other.
-wrote the party. As they also noted, MSZP has consistently condemned acts where someone attempts to attain a degree or claim a non-existent degree as well as circumvent or fail to meet educational requirements.
The party added:
As of today, Ildikó Bangóné Borbély is not a member of the MSZP, the Hungarian Socialist Party will not run her as a candidate in the elections, and is calling for her to give up her mandate in Parliament.
MSZP now considers the case closed, and “expects the failed Fidesz politicians in the Völner-Schadl corruption scandal to depart from public life,” the party said.
Ildikó Bangóné Borbély originally entered Parliament from MSZP’s party list of candidates in 2014 and in 2018, and is currently Vice-Chair of the Legislative Committee.
Telex has not been able to receive a response from Bangóné on the issue, although MSZP’s statement has essentially acknowledged the fact that she published false information about her academic credentials.
On Facebook, the opposition’s prime ministerial candidate, Péter Márki-Zay, welcomed the action taken by the Socialist Party towards their former member. “Lying to obtain a diploma is the same type of fraud as when Fidesz members pass exams and get diplomas and doctorates through fradulent means,” he wrote.
Márki-Zay’s comment regarding ruling party Fidesz appeared to be a reference to arrested bailiff György Schadl, who is portrayed in investigative documents as having put pressure on university teachers to let a member of Minister Antal Rogán’s staff pass an exam without having taken it. [Telex, HVG]
