The Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) has not only provoked intense reactions by nominating former Socialist government finance minister Lajos Bokros. The second candidate on the list has also caused a stir. If the MDF gets enough votes, Hungary could soon find itself represented in the EU Parliament by Georg Habsburg, grandson of the last Austrian emperor Karl I. and son of Otto von Habsburg who served as a member of the European Parliament for many years. Georg Habsburg spoke to The Budapest Times about his reasons for standing.
How did you come to be on the MDF list?
The proposal made by the chairwoman Ibolya Dávid came out of the blue for me. At a meeting arranged at short notice she offered me a place as an independent on the MDF list.
Why did you say yes?
Hungary is in a severe crisis. In such a situation you have to think about how you can help most. So far I have been able to do something with my work for the Red Cross. My main interest, which I have inherited, naturally is the European Parliament. If you then get the opportunity to stand as a candidate for this parliament, then you think about it carefully. I think at the moment Hungary needs all the help it can get in the European Parliament.
What involvement have you had with the European Parliament in the past?
My contact with the European Parliament began in 1979, the time of the first direct election. As a 15-year old I assisted my father's election campaign. In the following years through my father I gained valuable insight into the work of the parliament. Incidentally, in addition to my father, my brother Karl was also an MEP for a while. From 1996 I supported Hungary's EU integration as a Hungarian ambassador and represented the country's interests towards the Union. In 2005 I began working for an office in Brussels that represents the member organisations of the Red Cross at the EU. So contact with the EU is anything but new for me. I am aware of the unbelievable possibilities that the European Parliament holds if you have the possibility to work together beyond faction and country borders. My father was excellent in that. I have learned a lot from him in that respect. I think Hungary still has a lot of potential here. That's why I was happy to accept the offer to stand. The fact that the MDF is a member of the European People's Party also played a role in my decision. I would be able to work in the same faction that my father belonged to earlier. That would offer the advantage that I already know a lot of people in this faction. ,
As number two on the list, what do you think your chances are of getting to Brussels at all?
We are at the start of a tough election battle. So far I think it is definitely possible that I will manage it. However, regardless of what the end result is, if someone asks me in a year's time when I did for Hungary during the crisis, I will be able to say that I did my best.
If you don't succeed in getting to Brussels, could you imagine being politically active for a party in Hungary?
I'm not interested in going out on a limb in the arena of domestic politics in the future, not even in the campaign for the general elections which will follow on the heels of the EP elections. My field is European politics. At the moment I can't imagine what would lead me into Hungarian domestic politics, but in politics you should never say never. If you had told me half a year ago that I would stand for the MDF on the EU list, I wouldn't have believed it.
Why don't you want to help your country which is in trouble on a national level too?
Because I simply cannot see where I could really make a difference.
You could, for example, have a calming effect on the poisoned atmosphere!
What we need to try here is to make people aware of a larger dimension like that of Europe, but I can do that better from Brussels. The European dimension is reality for Hungary, but it is very often sidelined. People still only see problems specific to Hungary. They don't see what enormous potential the EU holds for them. That's why I will speak about Europe during this election campaign, even if I am relatively alone in doing so. I hope my example will catch on.
How well do you think Hungary has been represented in Brussels until now?
The work of the Hungarian MEPs should have received greater attention in Hungary. The problem is that they entered the EP through inflexible party lists. Most Hungarians don't even know who is representing them in Brussels. I find it a shame that the MEPs haven't succeeded in making themselves visible in Hungary. That in turn carries the risk of losing contact with their voters.
How successful is Hungary on a European level compared to other new members in enforcing its national interests?
I think the impression that other new member states represent their interests more forcefully towards the EU is mistaken. Possibly this impression simply comes from the fact that other countries have produced more prominent politicians and topics regarding EU questions. Fortunately Hungary doesn't have an EU opponent like the Czech president Vaclav Klaus who is always in the headlines.
There is nothing wrong, however, with exposing democratic deficits in Brussels. Why shouldn't these also be addressed by Hungarian politicians?
I would be very happy if there could be public debate in Hungary about what actually comes out of Brussels. The problem in Hungary is that citizens for some time now have been so caught up in domestic politics that unfortunately the EU receives insufficient attention. I don't think that Hungary has a fundamentally different relationship to the EU than, for example, the Czech Republic. In Hungary, however, visibility and awareness of EU topics is lower. The Hungarian media have contributed to that.
Nothing against your nomination - after all you are not a party politician - but hasn't the impression that the parties frequently send politicians to Brussels to get them out of the way at home contributed to citizens' lack of interest in EU politics.
That's definitely true. That impression has now been confirmed again. The fact that the parties are largely motivated by their party interests when putting together their lists is definitely also related to the fact that they have not yet recognised the importance of the EU. The MDF was the first party to have the courage to nominate a proven and recognised expert for Brussels in the person of Lajos Bokros. The party chairwoman Ibolya Dávid did not shy way from the debate within the party that this provoked. She insisted on placing two people at the top of her list who are not party members, but who are competent in European affairs.
The nomination of Bokros is highly controversial and has created a crisis within the MDF.
Bokros is the only crisis manager in this country who has proved successful in practice. That is undisputed across the party divides. He has also proved himself abroad. In Slovakia, for example, he made a name for himself as one of the masterminds behind the economic reform there, which looking back was very successful, and incidentally was implemented by a conservative government. Bokros in addition is a person of absolute integrity. You cannot link him to any scandal or misconduct. Finally Bokros is a person who tells everyone openly what reforms the country needs. He is not influenced by political considerations and he is dependable. And after all that is what we need most urgently today: dependability. The last word has not yet been spoken so far as the Bokros nomination and the resulting discussions are concerned.
Isn't it a shame that the proven crisis manager Bokros could possibly disappear into the sea of EU parliamentarians?
Why? He knows the Hungarian economy like barely any other. He speaks a lot of languages. He knows an incredible number of people. He knows the region. He would be ideal as a representative of Hungary's and the region's interests.
And as prime minister?
That was also a courageous proposal from Ibolya Dávid! Let's take a look at the different options. Of course the best thing would be early elections, but that likely will not happen. In this situation Ibolya Dávid decided on a pragmatic alternative. She calmly came to the conclusion that there is a severe crisis so we need a good crisis manager and brought Bokros into play to succeed the current prime minister. She was aware of the improbability of her initiative succeeding, but at least she can now look in the mirror with a clear conscience and say that she tried.
Do you think Gyurcsány still has a chance? (The interview took place before the PM's announcement to step down last weekend - editor)
No. He has caused Hungary too much damage. Probably we will only be able to estimate the scale of the damage at a later stage. He is to blame for the lack of real reforms in this country. I am less critical of people who have tackled reforms and made mistakes than of people who have not tackled reforms in the first place. It is terrible when a country comes to a standstill. I don't think I need to say anything about Gyurcsány's battered credibility.
Where de you see the greatest need for reform in Hungary?
Essentially in three areas. Firstly I would advocate tackling corruption head on. That is the only way to recover from the general crisis of credibility and the value system. The second point would be the equally drastic reform of institutions. They have to become cheaper and better. Finally with the tax money saved through both these measures the way can be paved for a radical tax reform.
New elections at the current time would give Fidesz a landslide election victory. Would that be desirable?
We need to realise that Hungary needs a strong government to tackle its reform bottleneck. I am convinced that Fidesz chairman Orbán, if he shows that he is determined to carry out reforms, will find a lot of supporters, including from other parties. A two-party system, however, would definitely be bad for the country. That is counterproductive for the quality of the work of governing. But whatever happens, the bottom line is that Hungary is and remains a democracy. People will continue to be able to vote every four years on who represents them in parliament. That is why it is very risky to campaign with promises that cannot be kept.
The final question: unlike your father you rarely seem to use "von" before your surname. Why not?
Personally I don't use the "von" at all, and it does not feature on my two passports, an Austrian and a Hungarian one. As a Habsburg I don't need a "von". If the name Habsburg doesn't mean anything to somebody, then the "von" won't either. However, I'm repeatedly addressed by other people as "von Habsburg" and announced like that at events. Of course I don't correct people or cross out the "von". After all it is the historic name.
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The Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) has not only provoked intense reactions by nominating former Socialist government finance minister Lajos Bokros. The second candidate on the list has also caused a stir. If the MDF gets enough votes, Hungary could soon find itself represented in the EU Parliament by Georg Habsburg, grandson of the last Austrian emperor Karl I. and son of Otto von Habsburg who served as a member of the European Parliament for many years. Georg Habsburg spoke to The Budapest Times about his reasons for standing.
