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Time for Fidesz to dump Viktor Orban · Apr 13, 2006
The first round of elections in Hungary ended with four parties making it into Parliament: the Socialists (MSzP, 43.21%), the right-wing opposition (Fidesz, 42.03%), the liberal party (SzDSz, 6.5%) and, in a big surprise, a smallish conservative party (MDF) with 5.04%. The current MSzP – SzDSz coalition stands to win, although Hungary’s voting system, which mixes party lists and individual candidate races in districts, makes second rounds inevitable.
Having just squeezed past the 5% threshold of entry into Parliament, MDF pulled a ‘David v Goliath’ stunt by asking Fidesz to retract its electoral promises (its program, in effect) as the price for any electoral pact for the second round. Fidesz leader Viktor Orban then announced that he would step aside as prime minister candidate and proposed an insipid technocrat from MDF as the PM candidate of the right-wing coalition.
Mr Orban’s stepping aside is merely theatrics, but if it were for real, it would be an encouraging development for Hungarian democracy. His genuine anticommunist protest pedigree notwithstanding, Mr Orban is, after nearly 20 years of public life, a spent politician. What is the shelf-life of a politician, anyway? In power, I’d say a decade, tops. In opposition, a failure to win an election is probably a solid indication that new ideas and fresh faces are needed. Mr Orban spectacularly lost the elections of 1994, had a mixed record in power between 1998-02 and failed to unseat the corrupt and spendthrift current government. His current message is limited to railing against “international capital.” He should go.
Political alternation is good for any country and better still for a recent democracy like Hungary. After the collapse of Communism in 1990 the Hungarian electorate has splendidly used its long denied ballot power to boot its rulers in all 4 free elections. Another change of government is needed now. Dumping Mr Orban may refresh Fidesz enough to capture some voters who might otherwise stay home or vote for the lesser evil, MSzP.
