The left should re-invent itself
April 21st, 2015A left-wing pundit urges the left to return to its roots, address the burning problems ordinary people are facing and send messages which appeal to the gut feelings of the electorate. Otherwise the far right Jobbik party will monopolise discontent in Hungary.
In Népszabadság, Péter Pető accuses left-wing politicians of having forgotten that “their raison d’etre is the electorate, rather than the media”. Instead of reacting to the lack of law and order on the periphery or the poverty of working people, they criticise the government for its fiscal policies. In one words, they are unable to stir emotions and consequently they are practically irrelevant to the younger generations. At their place, Jobbik is becoming more and more popular and will be found increasingly attractive by talented people. Jobbik is flexible; it has shed a few extremist features in order to broaden its audience. Compared to Jobbik, the Left is dull and does not understand what is happening around it. Pető’s recipe is simple: the Left should realise that it should be left-wing.