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Opposition Fidesz Remains Popular in Hungary
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Hungary’s main opposition party is by far the most popular political organization in the country, according to a poll by Tarki. 67 per cent of respondents would vote for the Hungarian Citizens Party (Fidesz) in the next legislative ballot, down one point since December.
The governing Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) is a distant second with 22 per cent, followed by the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) with six per cent, and the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) with five per cent.
Hungarian voters renewed their National Assembly in April 2006. The MSZP and the SZDSZ secured 210 of the legislative branch’s 386 seats, securing a full term for Socialist prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany. Fidesz, led by Viktor Orban, elected 164 lawmakers. In June 2006, Gyurcsany introduced a fiscal "austerity package" of state subsidy reductions and tax increases, aimed at lowering the country’s fiscal deficit.
In September 2006, Gyurcsany was criticized after Hungary’s state radio aired portions of an audiotape—which had been recorded in May—in which he told members of the MSZP that his administration "lied throughout the past one and a half or two years" about the state of the country’s economy in order to win re-election. The prime minister’s words sparked a two-week riot that threatened to end his government. Since mid-2007, Fidesz leader Orban has repeatedly called for an early legislative election.
On Jan. 23, Hungarian president Laszlo Solyom—who is backed by Fidesz—said a national referendum will take place on Mar. 9 in order to revise some economic measures proposed by Gyurcsany’s government. The prime minister wants to slash the country’s fiscal deficit by charging extra fees for doctor and hospital visits as well as for university tuition fees. Fidesz fiercely opposes these proposals.
On Jan. 30, Istvan Zsoldos, an analyst with the firm Goldman Sachs, offered his opinion on the plebiscite, saying, "If the referendum is valid and goes against the government, then Parliament would have to change those payments that have been challenged. This would not be significant for the budget, but it would be a symbolic defeat for the government. The opposition is already presenting the referendum as a vote of confidence on the performance of the current government."
Polling Data
Which party would you vote for in the next legislative election?
(Decided Voters)
|
Jan. 2008 |
Dec. 2007 |
Nov. 2007 |
|
|
Hungarian Citizens Party (Fidesz) |
67% |
68% |
67% |
|
Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) |
22% |
21% |
23% |
|
Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) |
6% |
4% |
2% |
|
Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) |
5% |
3% |
4% |
Source: Tarki
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Hungarian voters, conducted from Jan. 7 to Jan. 22, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.