A left-wing pundit compares the weekend congress of the ruling party to Communist-era party congresses, while a pro-government columnist describes it as a key event in the run-up to a crucial parliamentary election.
Hungarian press roundup by budapost.eu
Background information: after his re-election as chairman of Fidesz on Sunday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said his goal was to protect Hungary’s identity in the face of mass immigration and diktats from Brussels. He added that far from leaving the European Union, his government is striving for its renewal.
In Népszava, editor Péter Németh describes the ruling party congress as a dull event with no sign of debate or competition for leading posts. As he sees it, speakers only tried to outperform each other in praising the party leader. All that, he concludes, reminds him of congresses of the Hungarian Socialist Workers (Communist) Party before the regime change.
In Magyar Nemzet, Dávid Megyeri interprets the Fidesz party congress as a rally where the participants braced themselves for next year’s election. Its opponents, he explains, want to conform to Brussels, while Fidesz conforms to the Hungarian population. He suggests therefore that the elections next April may prove even more epochal than the regime change 31 years ago.
Featured photo via Viktor Orbán’s Facebook page