LMP to decide whether to join ‘Together 2014’

Analysts believe that the green party which has so far emphasized its centrist identity, will soon have to decide whether or not to join the left-wing alliance. Both options are considered extremely risky, pundits warn ahead of the LMP congress scheduled for next week-end.

“The LMP is caught on the horns of an immense dilemma, and faces the biggest challenge in its history,” Tamás Fábián writes on Komment.hu.

Fábián believes that LMP’s strategy to attract centrist voters dissatisfied with the current government but also reluctant to support the MSZP has been undermined by the appearance of former PM Gordon Bajnai’s movement, since “Together 2014 has become exactly what the LMP wanted to be.” The green party now has two options, Fábián notes. It may well join Bajnai’s left-wing umbrella organization, but siding with Bajnai and the MSZP would severely compromise its centrist image. The other option is not less risky, since by deciding to run alone at the 2014 election, the LMP may not be able to cross the 5 per cent parliamentary threshold, Fábián suggests.

Some LMP luminaries have argued against cooperating with Together 2014, while others have suggested that the green party has to consider such an option. The issue will be discussed at the LMP congress on November 17.

Pondering the same issue, Gábor Török points out that the Hungarian party system dominated by two main parties does not seem to favour parties not willing to integrate into the mainstream centre-right and the centre-left forces. Minor parties both on the right and the left have either dropped out of the Parliament, or joined one of the two main parties, Török remarks. According to Török, the worst option for LMP is to keep sitting on the fence, since hesitating whether or not to ally with Together 2014 could easily deter its supporters. It is, however, far from clear whether the LMP can come up with a decision acceptable for all in its diverse party leadership and constituency, Török concludes.

Tags: Bajnai, LMP, Together 2014