Steven N.
“Because there won’t be.”
In Parliament, Dialogue MP Bence Tordai went over to Viktor Orbán with a camera and asked him if he would agree to debate the united opposition’s candidate for prime minister, Péter Márki-Zay, before the April election:
Tordai: Hello, Mr. Prime Ministerial-nominee. Will you agree to debate Péter Márki-Zay?
Orbán: What debate?
Tordai: Prime ministerial debate. You’re the prime ministerial nominee for Fidesz, after all, Péter Márki-Zay is the prime ministerial nominee of the people…
Orbán (talking over him): No, there won’t be anything. There won’t, there won’t be a debate.
Tordai: Because you have such little regard for people, or because you are simply scared of debating?
Orbán: Because there won’t be.
Tordai: Why not?
Orbán: Because there won’t be.
Tordai: Shouldn’t there be debates in a democracy?
Orbán: Because you didn’t run the boss. If you had run the boss, that would have been different.
Viktor Orbán had previously stated that he didn’t view Péter Márki-Zay as the head of the opposition, but indicated that there might be a chance for a debate with former prime minister Ference Gyurcsány (the presumed “boss”). In response, Gyurcsány said that he “doesn’t go to cowards.” [HVG]
I loved the headline about Orban’s “detailed and thoughtful response” regarding his refusal to debate MZP. I’m certain Orban fears a real debate as he was once voted out of office -in part- because he lost a debate.
I wish there would be a debate, but it’s clearly not important to his voters so he’s not going to bother.