April 7th, 2018
As the last polls predict the victory of the governing party in the Sunday election, weeklies ponder what may come after April 8.
In his regular editorial, the Heti Válasz editor-in-chief Gábor Borókai expresses his regret over the erosion of political culture. Borókai complains that both Fidesz and the opposition have failed to address the really important issues during the campaign. Instead, both the governing party and its challengers have focused on corruption accusations and fear-mongering. Borókai hopes that Hungary can sooner or later return to the pre-2002 times, when, according to him, political disputes were more reasonable and moderate.
In 168 Óra, Ervin Tamás fears that the bitter and angry sectarian war between Fidesz and the opposition will continue after Sunday’s election. The left-wing pundit thinks that there is no chance for reconciliation between Right and Left. He suggests that Hungarian voters have long been disillusioned, and tend to vote for the party they consider the lesser evil. This time, however, one cannot easily decide which option is the least bad, Tamás concludes.
The most important thing is that Fidesz should be defeated, Magyar Narancs wishes. The left-liberal weekly thinks that if Fidesz wins, they will erase freedom altogether, and Hungary will have no chance to return to democracy. Magyar Narancs calls on voters to support any candidates that run against Fidesz – even the Jobbik candidates in individual constituencies.
Magyar Demokrata’s Károly Szalay thinks that the opposition simply does not understand voters. The pro-government columnist finds it pathetic for the Left to think that they can win support by claiming that they would represent the interest of voters better than the current government. Szalay claims that left-wing and liberal parties cannot realize that Hungarians care more for national identity, symbols and independence than for their material interests. On that basis, Szalay deems it highly unlikely that Fidesz will be defeated in the election.
Tags: 2018, Fidesz, Left
