Steven N.Klára Dobrev, the Democratic Coalition (DK)’s representative in the European Parliament, released the names of a 16-member “shadow government” of ministers, after DK announced its formation last week.
Dobrev gave her first speech as shadow prime minister on Sunday, in which she said that “the main cause of the cost-of-living crisis is Viktor Orbán himself, and as long as Viktor Orbán remains, the crisis will remain. This is why it is necessary to set up a shadow government.”
As HVG notes, women are not exactly over-represented in Dobrev’s shadow cabinet, making up three out of the sixteen members, or 18.75% of the total: Erzsébet Gy. Németh as shadow minister of social and pension issues, Ágnes Vadai as shadow defense minister, and Klára Dobrev herself as shadow prime minister. Dobrev also tapped Olga Kálmán as her shadow spokesperson.
However, Justice Minister Judit Varga is the only woman in the current Fidesz-KDNP government, meaning that women represent just 6.25% of Hungary’s present government.
Opposition parties have been demanding more women be represented in Parliament as well as in government. The Fidesz-KDNP parliamentary caucus is only 10% female, while the proportion in the opposition parliamentary groups is 23%. [444, HVG]
Women are badly under-represented in Hungarian politics. Perhaps Dobrev might be able to change that.