Major political scandal in Hungary
A political scandal could influence the outcome of Hungary’s national election slated for April 8, 2006. The relatively small, right of center Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) released a transcript of a taped conversation: Fidesz MP Zoltán Bagó used a mixture of threats and promises to make rival candidate Imre Romsics of MDF withdraw from the campaign and thus increase the chances of the largest opposition party. Fidesz immediately withdraw the candidacy of Bago, and Fidesz leader Orban apologized to Ms. Ibolya David, president of MDF. David didn’t except the apology.
Both Mr Bagó and Mr Romsics are standing for parliament in the constituency of Kalocsa in April, the latter as an unaffiliated candidate, and both have collected the signatures necessary to do so.
At a press conference, the MDF announced that the Fidesz MP had tried to blackmail Romsics into withdrawing. A secret recording of the conversation was played at the press conference. The recording was made a day after Bagó had issued a 24 hour ultimatum for Romsics to withdraw. Bagó told Romsics, director of the museum in Kalocsa that Fidesz would help him in his professional career. If he failed to cooperate there would be consequences, he added. .
The Fidesz MP compared his party to a company in the recording. "Since 2002, since the party became an alliance, we have been trying to convert to a corporate-style way of working, with management, independent decision-taking capacity, an independent budget, and independent competences," said Bagó on the recording. The Fidesz candidate said he had received instructions from the party leadership. "I am only interested in one thing, the thing I was given responsibility for in the party's management structure...the numbers, the gains, the profit - if you like, I need to deliver. The governing board gave me instructions. I am to negotiate with the partners, the suppliers, the business contacts and it will be the final result that counts. The results count for both me and the partners. They can pay dividends if the company is profitable. It works the same for us, if we win the elections nationally, and on a county level, then there will be concrete results. If we do not, then there won't be," said Bagó on the recording.
On Saturday, one day after the scandal surfaced, Ibolya David , MDF President told the party’s rally in
The MSZP Campaign Conference
Finally
Portrait of Péter Szigeti
Outperforming
Traditional churches and the government
