The participants adopted a joint declaration at the event.Continue reading
László Gubík, the new president of the Hungarian Alliance in Slovakia, who was elected to lead the Hungarian party at the general assembly election of officials, promises outspoken and dynamic politics.
Four people competed for the post, two of whom made it to the second round. László Gubík was elected by the 142 delegates present with 74 votes in favor in the second round of the two-round election, while his opponent, Péter Pandy, received 61 votes. Former party president Krisztián Forró did not stand again. Péter Pandy was elected for the second most important position of the party, the president of the National Council (NC). The Hungarian Alliance will have two vice-presidents, two experienced politicians of the party, Tibor Csenger and Péter Őry.
The decision to hold a renewal general assembly was taken by the party in the wake of its poor performance in this spring’s European Parliament elections, reflecting on the results.
Although the Hungarian Alliance usually does well in local and county elections, it has been unsuccessful in its attempts to enter the Bratislava legislature for the past decade and a half.
László Gubík, 37, started his political career as president of the youth organization of the Hungarian Community Party (MKP), one of the predecessor parties of the Hungarian Alliance, and later became founding director of the Esterházy Academy. He became more widely known in 2011, when he announced that he had taken Hungarian citizenship in response to discrimination under the Slovak Citizenship Act, that came into force at the time. As a result, Slovak legislation stripped him of his Slovak citizenship.
Speaking to Hungarian journalists during a break in the party’s general assembly, László Gubík said that
the change of era he had announced during the campaign was now beginning, and that the generational change in the party’s leadership was also a message to Hungarian voters in Slovakia.
“There is a generation here that wants to do it and dares to do it,” noted László Gubík. In response to a question from MTI, he clarified that the party’s new leadership is expected to be outspoken and dynamic. He added that they also want to “strengthen” their political presence. Regarding possible future cooperation with Slovak parties, he said that Hungarian politics in Slovakia has no natural ally in the Slovak political scene. He added that
they will primarily try to find a value-based political ally, along the lines of family-oriented, countryside-friendly politics and Christian Democratic society-building.
The newly elected president stressed that parties that pursue anti-Hungarian policies or a narrative that violates human dignity “do not fit into this.”
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Magyar Szövetség