Jobbik to contest EP election alone

Jobbik will contest the EP elections with its own platform and as a modern centre-right pro-Europe party, Marton Gyongyosi, the party’s leader, told a press event.

As regards the local elections, he said a recent mayoral by-election in Jaszbereny, in eastern Hungary, showed that the vote should be contested without the presence of party logos. He said it was better if the opposition parties “step back and let people who are considered credible locally” decide amongst themselves who should go up against ruling Fidesz’s candidate.

However, Jobbik does not rule out the possibility of holding primaries in places where there may be disagreements, Gyongyosi said, adding that “this would have to happen locally”.

Anita Korosi Potocska, Jobbik’s deputy leader, said opposition cooperation in the past had proven successful in places where the parties themselves were absent. She said party logos should not feature on the county election lists, either, arguing that civil groups could be more successful there as well.

Korosi Potocska added, however, that a primary to determine the candidate for Budapest mayor was likely inevitable, vowing that Jobbik would support the winner.

Meanwhile, Gyongyosi said Jobbik favoured phasing out price caps on basic foodstuffs and replacing them with a food subsidy scheme targeting those having trouble making ends meet. The scheme would be financed from the additional gains in VAT revenue due to inflation, he said.