Fidesz group leader Máté Kocsis argued that the election on April 3 will be a deciding factor in Hungary’s future, a decision which he believes could result in war or peace. In his 5 minutes of allotted time to present Fidesz’s platform, the Fidesz group leader in the National Assembly explained that the governing party would defend peace in Hungary, it would ensure the country’s economic security, and it would keep Hungary from returning “to its failed past.”
According to Kocsis, there are crises in all directions; while there is a war in the East, there is an energy and economic crisis in the West. In this situation, he said, his party supports an approach of level-headedness and prudence. “The biggest mistake right now is for someone to speak nonsense,” he said, “the same way that the left-wing’s prime ministerial candidate has been doing.”
Kocsis was quite vehement that the opposition’s candidate, Péter Márki-Zay, wants to bring Hungary into the war between Ukraine and Russia, supplying weapons and soldiers. Márki-Zay has rejected such claims, and has even filed a criminal complaint against Fidesz representatives for alleging that he would send soldiers to Ukraine.
Kocsis brought up that there are three major interests for Fidesz. The first is the protection of peace in Hungary, thus, he said, the party would not send weapons or soldiers to Ukraine. The second is the protection of economic security, meaning that Fidesz is unwilling to sanction Russian gas imports due to the potential impact on Hungarian households. Such sanctions, Kocsis claimed, would mean the end of utility price cuts, and would raise the price of gas by three or four times as much as it is now, “just like the situation further west.”
There would be no heating in kindergartens, hospitals, or in public institutions. Factories and power plants would no longer have access to gas.”
The third interest of Fidesz, according to Kocsis, is that the country cannot return “to its failed past,” of the Ferenc Gyurcsány government. Implying that the modern opposition is no different, Kocsis brought up the actions of the previous government, saying “they raised utility costs 15 times, they removed the home-building subsidies, and they removed family subsidies.”
Kocsis alleged that Márki-Zay had the same plans as Gyurcsány of removing minimum wages and privatizing healthcare. “The left-wing,” he added, “would also remove the child protection law.”
Kocsis concluded that the election is a decision “between war and peace, between a failed past or a successful future.”
Only Fidesz can ensure Hungary’s safety, only Fidesz can protect pensions and pensioners. Only Fidesz will keep family subsidies, and only Fidesz can govern the country effectively in a time of crisis.”
Before concluding his five minutes, Kocsis called on voters to “protect our children,” by voting in favor of the “child protection law” in the referendum which will be held in tandem with the election.
Featured photo illustration by Szilárd Koszticsák/MTI
