Márki Zay to become the leader of a united opposition?

A libertarian columnist welcomes the recently elected Mayor of Hódmezővásárhely onto the national political stage, as a challenger to the leaders of the fragmented opposition. He also dismisses the idea that the opposition should boycott parliament.

Addressing last Saturday’s opposition rally, Mr Márki-Zay said Fidesz should be challenged by a single opposition candidate at the next parliamentary election. Meanwhile, opposition parties are under pressure from frustrated supporters and liberal critics alike, not to take their seats in Parliament, where the government side commands an overwhelming majority. Ágnes Kunhalmi, a prominent Socialist politician, told ATV on Monday that all opposition parties were pondering that option.

On HVG online, László Seres calls proposals to boycott the legislature ‘anti-parliamentary demagoguery.’ He argues that millions of voters didn’t cast their ballots for opposition leaders in order not to see them in Parliament. As for Mr Márki-Zay, he thinks the newly elected Mayor of Hódmezővásárhely could well become the leader of a new opposition, although his pro-market conservative views are shared by virtually none of the main political forces. Mr MZP,  (a pun on the initials of the Socialist Party – MSZP) as he calls him, should also show spectacular capabilities in building a group of supporters and a nationwide network to become – if not the Messiah– at least a new leader.

Tags: Márki-Zay, opposition, Parliament