Fidesz modifies petition campaign to focus on opposition’s Marki-Zay

Supported by the six opposition parties, Marki-Zay, the mayor of Hodmezovasarhely, won on Sunday the prime ministerial primary in the campaign leading up to next spring’s general election.

Going forward, Fidesz’s petition will be called “Stop Gyurcsany! Stop Marki-Zay!”, Kocsis said in a Facebook post on Monday.

“It has been decided that Peter Marki-Zay will be the one on the back of whom [Democratic Coalition leader] Ferenc Gyurcsany will try to get back into power,” he said.

The opposition’s recent statements make it clear that they want to govern together, “which is no surprise, given that the PM candidate can’t do anything without the support of the largest parliamentary group, which is ruled by [former Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc] Gyurcsany”, he said.

“After [Budapest Mayor] Gergely Karacsony’s campaign failed, he was replaced by Marki-Zay, but their left-wing policies remained,” Kocsis said. He said Gyurcsany and the Democratic Coalition had increased their influence on the left, adding that “everyone remembers that when they are in power taxes and utility prices are raised, family benefits are scrapped, pensions are cut, unemployment rises and wages decrease.”

Kocsis said Marki-Zay “has neither the opportunity nor the intention to cleanse politics of Gyurcsanyism”.

Fidesz is therefore continuing its signature drive, “and we must stop them”, he said.