Budapest (MTI) – The head of the Socialist Party and the co-leader of LMP held a public discussion focusing on opposition strategies before the next general election in 2018, at the Okopolis Summer Academy, on Thursday night.
In the discussion, Ákos Hadházy of LMP said that the government must be replaced in 2018, because European Union funds for Hungary will run out by 2022. He insisted that utilising those funds, a total 12,000 billion forints (EUR 38.5bn), “is an opportunity the country will not be offered again”.
Gyula Molnár, the Socialist leader, said that if Fidesz stays on government it will “complete building its new, non-democratic system both in terms of legislation and economy”. He also warned that an opposition failure could trigger social movements and “voters would expel the current parties”.
Molnár said he did not believe any opposition party could win the next election on its own. The current voter base of ruling Fidesz may not shrink below 1.5 million, he said and suggested that parties of the opposition should “put together 1.7-1.8 million”.
Molnár criticised LMP for “seeking to be a champion of truth” and “passing judgement on other parties’ credibility”. In future “we must focus on what links us” with other parties, he suggested.
As for possible cooperation with other parties, Molnár advocated pre-election voting to select candidates, but Hadházy turned down that proposal.
Photo: MTI