A leftist view on why the opposition ‘always loses’

A left-wing commentator urges opposition parties to get down to the hard job of organising a nationwide network of activists and thereby reach out to Hungarian households.

On Mérce, Péter Tárkányi rejects the self-soothing explanations of continuous opposition failures, whether in parliamentary elections or in protest movements against government policies. He denies the view that Hungarians are ‘a people of sheep’ that tolerate even the worst government and suggests that although the government has taken public institutions under control, the opposition still has huge potential resources. He refers, in particular, to the numerous opposition-leaning media outlets that reach large segments of the public, as well as to the cities and towns governed by opposition majorities and mayors. He adds that among young voters (under 40 years of age), the opposition has twice as many supporters as the government. He urges opposition parties to build a broad network of activists who would visit households, offer an alternative to Hungarians, and mobilize them for demonstrations, strikes – and elections.

Tags: media, opposition