Publicist Róbert Puzsér, an independent Budapest mayoral candidate backed by opposition Jobbik and LMP, has slammed what he called the “old leftist parties” for coordinating candidates for the autumn local elections without having agreed on a joint platform.
The opposition Socialists, Párbeszéd, Democratic Coalition (DK) and Momentum parties last weekend agreed to field joint mayoral candidates in most districts of Budapest in the elections.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Puzsér underlined the importance of opposition coordination in the election, saying the only way to defeat ruling Fidesz was by fielding a single opposition candidate in each district.
He said the Socialists, Párbeszéd, DK and Momentum had done nothing more than “bargain over positions”. In response to those parties naming their mayoral candidates, he said his team would now launch its campaign for a livable Budapest.
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Puzsér, who is running on a promise to expand the pedestrian zone of the city beyond the current one in the fifth district, said it was untrue that his campaign was only focused on the capital’s inner districts. He said his campaign wanted to end “Budapest’s pathological centralisation and create new, pedestrian, green and human-scale city centres” in the outer districts, too.
In response to a question, Puzsér said the rivalry between what he called his “centre opposition” and the “old left” did not rule out the possibility of the two sides coordinating on their candidates in the elections. He added, however, that coordination would not mean that the two sides would “govern together”.
Puzsér said he was ready to contest a primary against Socialist-Párbeszéd mayoral candidate Gergely Karácsony if he received a “fair offer”.
On the featured photo: Róbert Puzsér. Photo by Szilárd Koszticsá/MTI