Ruminations on Márki-Zay’s political vision

An alt-left commentator sees Péter Márki-Zay as a pro-market neo-liberal politician. A pro-government commentator thinks that the opposition frontrunner wants to woo right-wing voters by pretending to endorse Christian conservative values.

In Mérce, Aram Shakkour describes Péter Márki-Zay’s political ideology as a selectively radical stance. The alt-left commentator recalls that the opposition frontrunner embraced pro-market liberal economic ideas, pledged to keep the flat tax and family subsidies – policies, that, according to Shakkour, benefit rich families rather than helping the poor. Shakkour suggests that Márki-Zay only endorses more radical politics when he pledges to suspend the constitution even in the absence of a two-thirds majority in Parliament. He doubts that Márki-Zay’s conservative right-wing economic and social outlook will attract many voters dissatisfied with Fidesz. Shakkour predicts that even if the opposition wins next April, they will follow neoliberal policies. In conclusion, he calls for a more socially minded Left, necessary to counterbalance the ‘now hegemonic liberal-technocratic’ ideology.

Magyar Nemzet’s Károly Pósa thinks that Márki-Zay’s efforts to brand himself as a conservative politician are nothing but smoke and mirrors. The pro-government pundit accuses Márki-Zay of labelling himself a Christian conservative in order to broaden his political base. But all this is just a discursive stunt, as Márki-Zay is proposing policies that are fully in-line with the opposition parties’ agenda, Pósa contends. He goes on to claim that Márki-Zay has become a loose cannon who makes controversial statements that shock even the opposition parties. As an example, Póra mentions Márki-Zay’s suggestion that energy price tariffs are communist measures. Citing a recent opinion poll by the Nézőpont Institute, Pósa also claims that Márki-Zay has so far failed to significantly increase support for the opposition.

Tags: Márki-Zay