Weeklies on the prospect of a broad anti-Fidesz coalition

Commentators from right across the political spectrum express their doubts about the potential of a broad anti-Fidesz coalition, which aims to change the current electoral law.

The editor-in-chief of Heti Válasz, Gábor Borókai finds it unlikely that the strategy of the opposition parties will prove successful. The conservative journalist believes that the left-wing opposition blames the electoral law and demands its amendment, shoulder to shoulder with right-wingers, (see BudaPost June 8) because neither the Left, nor Jobbik have enough voters to challenge Fidesz. Borókai predicts that the mass civil disobedience campaign of liberal and left-wing groups (see BudaPost June 6) will also be counterproductive. Hungarians hate lawlessness and disorder; mass civil disobedience actions would thus only play into the hands of PM Orbán and would help him to solidify his support.

In 168 Óra, left-wing political analyst Zoltán Lakner is also sceptical about the salience of the opposition project to change the electoral law. The movement which unites left-liberal intellectuals as well as Gyula Zagyva, a well-known radical right-wing and former Jobbik MP is unlikely to gain enough support to defeat Fidesz in 2018, the analyst writes. Lakner suggests that such a motley coalition of radical right-wingers and liberals cannot offer a credible program. In the absence of a coherent political vision, voters will not support the movement, even if the majority of Hungarians are dissatisfied with the Orbán government, Lakner contends.

Magyar Demokrata’s editor-in-chief András Bencsik suspects that the Left and Jobbik will cooperate in the hope that they can only defeat Fidesz together. The pro-government commentator speculates that anti-Fidesz forces will try to legitimize their cooperation by claiming that the Orbán regime can only be toppled by a broad coalition. Bencsik, however, is confident that supporters of the current government will not buy such ‘stunts’ and will return Viktor Orbán to power.

Tags: 2018, Jobbik, Left, opposition