István Hollik, Fidesz's communications chief, has announced that more than one million people have so far signed the ruling alliance’s “Stop Gyurcsány! Stop Karácsony!” petition launched on Sept. 1.
Hollik told Kossuth Radio that the ruling parties aim to use the petition to reach out to everyone who believes that Hungary should not return to the politics of the past. Referring to the opposition primaries, Hollik said that because Democratic Coalition leader Ferenc Gyurcsány “hasn’t been able to win a general election for a long time now, he’s now organized himself a little house championship”. Hollik said the results of the first round of the primaries indicated that “Gyurcsány has again taken over the left”, adding that Momentum Movement candidate András Fekete-Győr’s last-place finish showed that “the left’s attempt to reinvent itself has also failed.”
“It’s obvious to everyone that Ferenc Gyurcsány is the leader of the left and that there’s nothing at stake anymore in the primaries,” he said. “The only question is whether the left will field Gyurcsány’s wife or Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony as its candidate for prime minister.”
Photo credit: MTI