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Tag: Klára Dobrev

Opposition wouldn’t have won with a left-wing candidate, says Márki-Zay

Steven N. 2 Comments
picture of Péter Márki-Zay

Hódmezővásárhely Mayor Péter Márki-Zay (pictured), the opposition coalition’s candidate for prime minister this year, characterized the situation regarding the election defeat as if the Hungary of 1989, when the change of regime seemed imminent, had instead regressed back to 1970.

Speaking on Klubrádió, the opposition politician stated that until now, he believed it was possible to win while playing on an football field elevated in favor of Viktor Orbán, under rules he had made, but it has turned out that this is not the case.

Asked whether he saw any flaws in himself, Péter Márki-Zay replied, “Of course.”

I can’t change my style, and I haven’t even tried to.

-said Péter Márki-Zay, adding that “he apologizes for this and everything else” that depended on him.

But he also felt that it was a mistake to believe that they could have won with a candidate from the left, claiming that left-wing voters stuck with them.

If they hadn’t, he said, then the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party would have gotten into Parliament instead of Our Homeland. Right-wing voters were hesitant to cast their vote for a list that included Ferenc Gyurcsány and DK, and quite prominently as well.

These mistakes are dangerous, believes Márki-Zay, because whoever thinks they can win the election with Klára Dobrev or Ferenc Gyurcsány four years from now will be in for a rude awakening.

[Index]

Macron promises opposition that rule of law mechanism will be launched during French Presidency of EU

Steven N.
picture of Emmanuel Macron and Hungarian opposition

“It was an honor that he gave so much time to the Hungarian political opposition despite all of his meetings, and I think he expressed visible sympathy for our efforts,” stated opposition prime ministerial candidate Péter Márki-Zay after his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday afternoon, at which opposition leaders Anna Donáth, Klára Dobrev, and Gergely Karácsony also took part. Márki-Zay said that the meeting had lasted an hour and took place at the French Embassy.

Péter Márki-Zay said that they share the values ​​that Macron shares, namely the idea of ​​a stronger, more secure, freer, more democratic Europe, and they feel confident that they can count on support from him in these areas.

The fight against corruption was an important area of ​​their discussion, added Márki-Zay, as was the topic of municipalities who have had their funding cut from the national government’s budget.

The President does not expect the European Union to be able to provide Hungary with a more substantial amount from the recovery fund, and the reason for this is corruption.

-said Péter Márki-Zay.

Hungary will continue to lose subsidies for as long as its corrupt government steals taxpayer money, but “hopefully an honest and anti-corrupt government will be able to receive it after the election,” he added. “We are very optimistic about the future following this meeting,” summed up Péter Márki-Zay.

“Macron made a firm promise that the rule of law mechanism will indeed be introduced during the French presidency of the EU,” said MEP Klára Dobrev from the Democratic Coalition. She added:

This is why Viktor Orbán cannot expect to receive EU subsidies with these policies of his. The opposition therefore has a duty to create the legal environment after the election to be able to receive this money.

Macron also shares the opposition’s view that closer European cooperation is needed right now, according to Klára Dobrev. She believes that when France takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, the EU will become stronger, Hungarian democratic supporters will have the opportunity to display their values, and Viktor Orbán will become weaker.

[Magyar Hang][Photo: Gergely Karácsony / Facebook]

Kossuth Rádió issues correction for statement on Dobrev and “Elkxrtuk”

Steven N.
picture of Klára Dobrev

State-sponsored Kossuth Rádió issued an official correction after one of its hosts suggested that opposition politician Klára Dobrev had ordered violent police action during the 2006 political demonstrations, a claim depicted in the fictional film “Elkxrtuk” that the host apparently treated as fact.

As reported in 24.hu, on Wednesday the following statement was read on “Hello, Hungary”:

„On October 26, 2021, we made an untrue statement in a Kossuth Rádió program that Dr. Klára Dobrev had ordered the shooting and beating of innocent people on the street. In reality, Dr. Klára Dobrev did not make any decisions in regards to the so-called autumn 2006 riots.”

After the statement was made by host Antal Apró, Dobrev’s party, the Democratic Coalition, vowed to sue state broadcaster MTVA for swallowing the “Elkxrtuk” allegation whole, and journalists’ association MÚOSZ also condemned public media for it.

[Magyar Hang]

Márki-Zay captured educated voters, while older voters opted for Dobrev

Steven

A new survey provides a glimpse into the demographic breakdown and social habits of those who voted for the two candidates vying to lead the united opposition coalition.

According to research released by the Political Science Institute of the Social Sciences Research Center, supporters of primary winner Péter Márki-Zay were younger, had higher education degrees, and typically received their information from online news sources and social media.

The survey also showed that many more women voted for DK’s Klára Dobrev than for Márki-Zay, and that her supporters tended to be older, with an average age of 67, compared to 44 for the Hódmezővásárhely mayor.

Two-thirds of Dobrev’s supporters had high school degrees and one-third had university degrees, but this proportion was reversed for those who voted for Márki-Zay. In addition, Dobrev’s voters primarily received their information from television and radio news, according to the research.

The survey was conducted during the second round of the primary elections in Budapest with 440 respondents, although only 357 of them agreed to state who they voted for. The institute’s results showed 65% of respondents supported Márki-Zay and 35% voted for Dobrev, which was only four points off the final election results of 61-35% in the capital. [HVG]

DK suing state broadcaster MTVA for defamation

Steven
poster of Elkxrtuk movie

The Democratic Coalition (DK) party has decided to sue state broadcaster MTVA for defamation over a statement heard on Kossuth Rádió yesterday about Klára Dobrev, their nominee for this month’s primary election.

The radio presenter of “Good Morning, Hungary!” claimed that Dobrev had decided “in 2006 to beat and shoot out the eyes of innocent people in the street.” In other words, the radio presenter had accepted as fact the allegations made in the recent film “Elkxrtuk.”

A DK press release states that “the propagandists of public radio have swallowed Fidesz’ propaganda film whole, the conspiracy theory contained in ‘Elkxrtuk.'” As a result of these unfounded allegations, “the Democratic Coalition will naturally sue MTVA.” [444]