Former Finance minister Bokros challenges Far Right leader Vona to Open debate
MDF candidate for PM challenges Far-Right leader
Former finance minister and the candidate leader for the MDF in the upcoming elections, Bokros Lajos, has challenged the far-right leader (and Jobbik's candidate for Prime Minister) Vona Gábor to an open debate.
According to the one time finance minister (from March 1st 1995 to February 29th 1996, during the Horn government), he will be able to demonstrate in under one and a half hours that Jobbik's far right policies will ruin Hungary and sell-out the nation.
The Jobbik are acting against the interests of the nation when they state that they will not pay back the IMF loans. Loans which were secured last year to rescue the nation from the depths of the world-wide financial crisis.
Further Bokros states that Jobbik are acting against the interests of the nation when their leaders scribble derogatory messages about Jewish Hungarians that "they should better play with their circumcised tails" - a reference to Jobbik's MEP Morvai Krisztina who earlier this year wrote such a message (in ruder language). That Jobbik damages the interests of the nation when they refer to 'Gypsy-crime'.
In Bokros's opinion, none of this serves the interest of a peaceful society or of the nation's development. Rather it undermines development and causes chaos. Jobbik are acting against the interests of the nation when they openly lead people on with ridiculous promises and with clearly no ability to fulfill these. In the open letter from Bokros Lajos to
Vona Gábor it is stated that Jobbik are acting against the interests of the nation when they beguile and confuse embittered Hungarians with their promises.
According to Bokros Lajos Jobbik's populist demagoguery is ruining Hungary.
The MDF's candidate for Prime Minister, Bokros, has asked Vona Gábor to suggest a time suitable to him, anytime during the first two weeks of January, when they will be able to meet and debate the issues in a round table discussion.
Jobbik have yet to provide an outline of their policies and plans for the upcoming elections. Jobbik insiders have stated that their election manifesto and detailed policies are to be announced and released on January the 16th.
ref: Bokros kihívta Vona Gábort
What do Hungarians give a damn about?
What do Hungarians give a damn about? Not much it seems. The government can collude with opposition parties to rob ordinary Hungarians of their favourite radio stations, Roma and the Hungarian Guard can start a civil war, endless meetings can be held to decide which further cuts to make to public services, local mayors and officials can sell off historic properties to their friends... none of this matters much at all. On all of those topics just mentioned a maximum of 5% of the population gives a damn.
Still, at least 50% feel that the H1N1 may have something to do with them and 10% were interested in a triple murder case from early November. Apart from these, apathy reigns.
By political persuasion MSZP ('left') are three times more likely to be concerned about wider social and political factors than Fidesz ('right') supporters. Jobbik (far right) supporters seem most concerned about the Roma clashes and 'Rádiógate' - the replacement of the two favourite radio channels with consortiums close to Fidesz and MSZP.
n.b. Results come from research carried out by Századvég-Forsense.
http://hvg.hu/itthon/20091127_forsense_szazadveg_h1n1_uj_influenza.aspx?s=hl
Hungary and energy independence
According to this morning's HVG Orbán is looking to Russia to help Hungary achieve energy independence. The claim is made there that he met with Putin on Saturday during the United Russia party congress in St. Petersburg. He was invited to speak by duma speaker Boris Grizlov. http://hvg.hu/gazdasag/20091125_orban_orosz_energiafuggetlenseg.aspx
Energy independence is one of his favourite themes at the moment, which is not surprising given how little Gyurcsány did to exploit existing natural resources.
Still it is difficult to see how Orbán can argue that he is making progress towards energy independence when the South Stream pipeline agreements worked out by Gyurcsány will likely conflict with these aims - even if it isn't expected to be ready before 2015. South stream is a venture between Gazprom (Russia) and Eni (Italian), so I don't see much energy independence there. http://www.nytid.no/en/news/20090319/hungary-forges-closer-energy-ties-with-russia/
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