House speaker sees need for competition, genuine opposition

Budapest (MTI) – Hungary’s political life needs healthy competition, as not even ruling Fidesz can benefit from having no rivals, Parliamentary Speaker Laszlo Kover said on Sunday.

The past 25 years have proved to be so ambiguous because confrontation between one-time groups of elites showed a lack of consensus on fundamental values from the very beginning – a situation that led to a cold civil war rather than democratic debates, Kover told public Kossuth Radio.

“Fidesz needs a normal and balanced opposition that is able to offer genuine options in political debates,” he said in an interview.

On certain issues, however, there is no room for compromise. For instance, families should be given priority and demography issues addressed in any case. “Those who disagree with these priorities are not the opposition of Fidesz but enemies of the nation,” he said.

Kover said there is a need for rejuvenation within Fidesz, though acknowledging the experience of older politicians.

The House speaker said the generational shift in the Socialist Party brought about a decline in standards which the party was unable to manage. As a consequence, Hungary’s Socialists may face the same fate as the Polish left wing, which has disintegrated, he added.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters