News

• Aug 01, 2012: Hungary ruling party loses support amid voter apathy, Reuters (2012) Even though Hungarian ruling party Fidesz is still the most popular, it steadily loses public support. Hungarians are getting more apathetic towards the elections.
• Jun 06, 2012: Hungary: MSZP chair says Socialists only party offering “democratic” alternative to Fidesz, Politics.hu (2012) From 2014 in Hungary a single round elections to parliament will be held and parties will no longer have an opportunity to form electoral coalitions and mutually withdraw their candidates before a second round, thus changing the coalition formation policies by the parties.
• Jun 06, 2012: Hungary: Janos Ader replaces Pal Schmitt as president, BBC News (2012) Hungarian members of parliament elected new president of Hungary - Janos Ader to a five-year term by a vote of 262-40.
• Apr 20, 2012:
• Apr 16, 2012: Hungary govt loyalist Ader set to be new president, worldbulletin (2012) Hungary's ruling Fidesz party has backed Janos Ader as its candidate for president. Mr. Ader will probably replace Pal Schmitt, who resigned after a plagiarism scandal.
• Oct 13, 2011: Hungary gov't will definitely not stop assisting FX debtors – Lázár, Portfolio.hu (2011) The ruling alliance of Fidesz and the Christian Democrats (KDNP) plans a new electoral law which provides for 106 individual constituencies and 94 seats from national party lists, Lázár announced in Parliament on Monday. Hungarian citizens without permanent residence in Hungary who are included in the list of voters beyond the borders will be eligible to vote on national lists only.
• Sep 09, 2011: Török: Small parties unlikely to capitalize on growing voter apathy, Politics.hu (2011) Noted Political analyst Gábor Török commented on his blog about how many people who voted for Fidesz in the previous election were losing patience with the party and looking less favorably upon them.
• Sep 09, 2011: Hungary May Switch to Single-Round Election System, Nemzet Says, Bloomberg (2011) Parliamentary representatives of Hungary’s ruling coalition supported plans of switching to a single-round election system from as early as 2014, Magyar Nemzet reported, without saying how it got the information.
• Sep 09, 2011: Hungary Ruling Party Agrees to Overhaul Election Rules, MTI Says, Bloomberg (2011) Hungary’s ruling party Fidesz supports scrapping the current two-round electoral system in favor of a single round and give all Hungarians abroad the right to vote, MTI reported, without citing anyone.
• Sep 09, 2011: Constituency boundaries to remain unchanged until 2014, BBJ (2011) Although the Constitutional Court has ruled to redraw the current boundaries of Hungary’s electoral districts to come into effect by the end of this year, any possible by-elections will have to be held under the current scheme till 2014, MTI has learned from Gergely Gulyás, deputy of the governing Fidesz party.
• Aug 05, 2011: Hungary: Election law to be adjusted to public administration districts, politics.hu (2011) Constituencies in the future will be based on a new system of geographical districts to be introduced in 2013 in order to avoid big inequalities. According to the draft ministry program Hungary will be divided into 150-200 districts and from each district will be elected one MP to the Parliament.
• Jul 20, 2011:
• Jul 19, 2011:
• Jul 13, 2011: Hungary Proposes Single-Round Election, The Wall Street Journal (2011) Hungarian government tries to simplify Hungary`s rather complicated election system. But critics say it will make it more difficult for smaller parties to nominate their candidates. The reform would mean a change from a two-round model to a mixed single-round parliamentary election system.
• Jul 11, 2011: Hungary:Fidesz may cut number of lawmakers and introduce single-round elections, Budapest Business Journal (2011) Hungary’s governing party plans to cut the number of lawmakers from 386 to 200, abolish the second round of voting and end the system of compensating for votes cast for runner-up candidates. The threshold for a party to send deputies to Parliament would remain unchanged 5%. The ruling party also plans to allow Hungarian citizens living outside the country to vote.
• Jun 24, 2011: Hungary:Mixed electoral system to remain, number of individual constituencies, rounds undecided, Politics.hu (2011) A new election law that stipulates a mixed electoral system will come out in the autumn, said Fidesz deputy leader Lajos Kosa. Also Hungarian citizens living abroad will have the option to cast their ballots for a single national list. The number of individual constituencies is still being debated.
• Apr 19, 2011: Bid for referendum on new constitution submitted to election office, Politics.hu (2011) Bid for referendum on new constitution submitted to election office
• Apr 19, 2011: Hungary's Socialists reportedly preparing for possible early election, Politics.hu (2011) Hungary's opposition Socialist party is making contingency plans for an early election, based on unconfirmed information attributed to sources within the ruling Fidesz party that it would be in the government's interest to hold a ballot next year, Magyar Nemzet daily reported on Monday.
• Apr 19, 2011:
• Apr 19, 2011:
• Apr 19, 2011:
• Apr 19, 2011: Parliament approves new constitution, Politics.hu (2011) The ruling alliance of the Fidesz party and Christian Democrats approved Hungary's new constitution with a two-thirds majority on Monday.
• Apr 19, 2011:
• Apr 19, 2011: Hungary approves new constitution, Financial Times (2011) Hungary’s parliament has approved a new constitution. Opposite parties claim hat it has been rushed into law with only a little consultation. They say there is risk that it undermines key democratic checks and balances.
• Apr 19, 2011:
• Apr 19, 2011: A New Constitution for Hungary, The Wall Street Journal (2011) An article on the new Constitution of Hungary by the deputy prime minister of Hungary.
• Apr 19, 2011:
• Feb 28, 2011: Tiny Hungarian village prepares for fourth election in five months, Politics.hu (2011) All the 66 currently registered voters in the village of south-western Hungary's Bodehaza have been called to cast their ballots for the fourth time just in five months to elect a mayor on February 27.
• Feb 28, 2011: LMP spokesman says party to be main challenge to Fidesz in 2014 election, Politics.hu (2011) Hungary's Politics Can Be Different (LMP) party plans to gain strength in the coming two years to become the main rival of the governing parties in the 2014 elections.
• Feb 28, 2011: Voters with children should get more votes in elections, says Fidesz MEP, Politics.hu (2011) Hungary should explore the idea of giving more votes in the general and local elections to parents, and the more kids under the age of 18 the more votes the parents should be allowed, a lawmaker of the ruling Fidesz party.
• Jan 11, 2011: Lungo Drom wins two-thirds of the vote at national ethnic minority elections, Politics.hu (2011) The Roma organisation Lungo Drom scored a two-thirds victory at the national ethnic minority elections on Sunday, taking 37 seats in the 53-seat body, while the National Forum of Hungarian Gypsies (MCF) won 16 seats, the National Election Commission (OVB) said Monday evening.
• Jan 11, 2011: Turnout high at ethnic minorities' self-gov't election, Politics.hu (2011) Minorities elected their representatives on the weekend in Hungary.
• Nov 25, 2010: Hungary's ruling Fidesz extends big poll lead (Reuters, 2010) Hungary's ruling Fidesz party extended its major lead in opinion polls in November, according to a survey by pollster Tarki published late on Wednesday.
• Oct 27, 2010: Esztergom mayor blocked by Fidesz (Politics.hu, 2010) Fidesz major party has more seats in the local council and doesn't backs the city's elected independent mayor, Ms. Éva Tétényi.
• Oct 21, 2010: Fidesz remains mighty in face of stagnating opposition (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungary's ruling centre-right Fidesz-Christian alliance continued to dominate the electoral landscape after the Oct 3 local elections and Viktor Orban, the prime minister, was the most popular politician, according to a Median survey in Thursday's HVG weekly.
• Oct 15, 2010: Hungary: Local elections matter much more than it seems (The Budapest Times, 2010) Widely voiced opinions about the local government elections say there was nothing at stake, the result was a foregone conclusion and the campaigning was dull and inconsequential.
• Oct 15, 2010: Hungary: Three months to get ready (Budapest Business Journal, 2010) For the first time since its accession, Hungary will assume the presidency of the European Union as one of a trio with Spain and Belgium. Other newcomers to the bloc have already proven that they can perform a good job, while others’ stay in the position is something many prefer to forget. With very little time left until January the Foreign Ministry controlling the preparation is working overtime to have everything ready. Despite lingering doubts about what the Hungarian presidency may bring, the government remains confident it can take the six months being caretaker and turn it into a resounding success.
• Oct 15, 2010: Hungary: Is parliament being biased with new media tribunal? (The Budapest Report, 2010) The Hungarian Parliamentary committee responsible for nominating delegates for a new Media Tribunal (to oversee Hungary’s media business) has allegedly become biased and is only filling suggestions to appoint members of the Ruling Hungarian centre-right party, FIDESZ (i.e: its own party soldiers).
• Oct 04, 2010: Hungary: Elections Committee says public radio's modifying Jobbik ad unlawful (Politics.hu, 2010) The National Elections Committee said on Sunday that Hungarian public radio MR acted unlawfully when it added comments to a political ad of radical nationalist party Jobbik.
• Oct 04, 2010: Right makes dramatic gains in Hungary's municipal elections (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungary's Fidesz and its Christian Democrat centre right governing partner virtually swept the board in Sunday's local elections as expected, while radical nationalist party Jobbik made gains in the poor northeast and the Socialists confirmed their status as the main opposition force nationally.
• Oct 04, 2010: Fidesz in full control after victory in Hungarian local elections (WAZ EUobserver, 2010) Sunday's local elections held in Hungary were marked by low turnout and an overwhelming victory for the governing centre-right Fidesz party, which further strengthened its grip on the country. From a pool of more than eight million voters, about 3.6 million cast their votes as turnout slumped to 46.5 percent, less than four and eight years ago. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's party took four fifths of the Budapest districts. All county assemblies and 95 percent of the major cities will now be dominated by Fidesz. Only the southern city of Szeged and four Budapest districts remained under socialist leadership.
• Oct 04, 2010: Hungary’s centre-right tightens grip on power (Financial Times, 2010) Hungary’s ruling centre-right Fidesz party has tightened its grip on power by claiming an overwhelming victory in municipal elections, a result that could bring clarity about the government’s budgetary intentions.
• Oct 01, 2010: Hungary: Ethnic minorities to elect representatives on October 3 (Politics.hu, 2010) On Sunday Hungary's national and ethnic minorities will elect their local authorities. Following are the facts and figures about the minorities' election system:
• Sep 29, 2010: Fidesz widens lead ahead of Sunday's local elections (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungary's ruling centre-right Fidesz party has further increased its already huge lead among both decided voters and across the whole sample polled by Szonda Ipsos in mid-September, Nepszabadsag daily said on Wednesday.
• Sep 29, 2010: MTV to go legal over OVB decision (Politics.hu, 2010) MTV and Magyar Rádió will turn to the courts to contest a ruling handed down by the National Election Commission (OVB) on Monday, press spokesman Attila Kert told MTI on Tuesday.
• Sep 29, 2010: Hungarian TV asks court to block anti-Gypsy ad (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2010) Hungarian state television says it is appealing to the Supreme Court to block a political ad by a far-right party that talks about "Gypsy criminals."
• Sep 29, 2010: Tarlós: local government to buy public utilities (Politics.hu, 2010) Fidesz mayoral candidate István Tarlós yesterday vowed to take public utility companies into local government ownership if he wins the election in Budapest on Sunday.
• Sep 29, 2010: Hungary's Fidesz to sweep local election, budget eyed (Forexyard, 2010) Hungary's local elections on Sunday are likely to cement the political dominance of ruling party Fidesz -- and investors hope that will finally prompt it to clarify how it plans to reform the country's finance
• Sep 29, 2010: Politics.hu to offer extended coverage of Hungary's 2010 municipal elections (Politics.hu, 2010) Starting on Sunday, October 3, Politics.hu will be offering extended coverage of Hungary's 2010 municipal elections, with real-time reports on electoral results and their repercussions.
• Sep 24, 2010: Hungary: Fidesz lead solid ahead of October 3 local elections (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungary's Fidesz centre-right governing party kept its solid lead in September ahead of the local elections to be held on October 3, according to a poll by Median in Thursday's HVG online.
• Sep 15, 2010: Hungary: Fidesz ready to leap final hurdle to hegemony (The Budapest Times, 2010) Barring a catastrophe on the scale of an extraterrestrial invasion, the governing Fidesz party will demolish all comers in the 3 October municipal elections. The party will scoop up all 19 county governments and nearly every major city – including Budapest, once the stronghold of the liberal left. Fidesz already controls 68 per cent of the seats in Parliament; October 3 will complete its conquest of national politics.
• Sep 15, 2010: Hunagry: PM opens Fidesz campaign for local election (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday called his Fidesz party the only political force voters can assign responsibility to for the fate of the country, at a rally opening the centre-right party's campaign for the October 3 local election.
• Sep 15, 2010: Hungary: Oct 3 local elections will be referendum on Fidesz performance, says Orbán (Politics.hu, 2010) The outcome of the October 3 local elections will show the extent to which voters support the Fidesz centre-right government, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in an interview to Saturday's Veszpremi Naplo local daily on Saturday.
• Sep 09, 2010: TI Hungary says local election campaign spending opaque (Politics.hu, 2010) Campaign spending in the upcoming October 3 local elections is opaque and recent government-enacted changes on campaign rules has led to greater abuses of the system, Transparency International (TI) Hungary told MTI on Wednesday.
• Sep 09, 2010: Hungary: Orbán evaluates government's first 100 days (Politics.hu, 2010) Prime Minister Viktor Orban evaluated the first 100 days of his cabinet on Tuesday, saying Hungarian voters had chosen to break with the "hopelessness of the past eight years".
• Sep 06, 2010: Hungary: Socialists, Jobbik criticize government's first 100 days (Politics.hu, 2010) The main opposition Socialist party branded the first hundred days of the Hungarian government as a "frenzied race" while the radical nationalist Jobbik called for more radical measures on Friday, ahead of the prime minister's formal assessment next week.
• Sep 06, 2010: Four parties to field candidates for Budapest mayoralty (Politics.hu, 2010) All four parliamentary parties can run candidates for the post of mayor of Budapest at the local elections on October 3, the Budapest Election Commission (FVB) ruled on Sunday.
• Sep 06, 2010: Mixed report card for Hungary's new government (Hurriyet Daily News, 2010) At home at least, the popularity of Hungary's new Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who secured an historic two-thirds majority in general elections in April, remains unbroken.
• Sep 03, 2010: Hungary: Tarlós, Horváth officially registered as candidates for Budapest mayor (Politics.hu, 2010) Only Fidesz's István Tarlós and Socialist Csaba Horváth have officially registered as candidates for mayor of Budapest ahead of today's 4 p.m. deadline.
• Sep 03, 2010: Hungary: Municipality elections: Fidesz not a sure bet in Budapest (Budapest Business Journal, 2010) The result of the municipality elections in October may be uncertain only in Budapest, daily Népszabadság reported on the latest survey of research company Szonda-Ipsos.
• Sep 03, 2010: New law leaves small parties scrambling in Hungary (Chortler, 2010) A new law ushered in by the Hungarian parliament this summer has created greater hurdles for smaller-sized parties in Hungary to get on the ballot for municipal elections which will be held on October 3.
• Aug 31, 2010: Hungary's Fidesz Set For Sweeping Victory (XpatLoop.com, 2010) More than half, 61%, of decided voters will support Fidesz in the upcoming local elections, according to a poll conducted by the conservative Nezopont Institute for weekly Heti Valasz.
• Aug 30, 2010: Hungary: PM Orbán to assess 100 days in office on Sept 7 (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban will assess the first 100 days of his government on September 7, the prime minister's spokesman announced on Friday.
• Aug 30, 2010: Hungary: Ruling Fidesz expects landslide victory at local elections (Politics.hu, 2010) The governing Fidesz party expects a victory in the upcoming municipal election similar to the one it gained in the general elections in April, Lajos Kosa, the party's deputy head said in an interview in Magyar Nemzet daily on Saturday.
• Aug 30, 2010: Hungary: Greens to boycott Socialist ethical code in protest against smear (Politics.hu, 2010) The green opposition party Politics Can Be Different (LMP) said on Friday they would not sign a code of ethics for the upcoming local elections proposed by the main opposition Socialists.
• Aug 27, 2010: Budapest Mayor Demszky bows out after 20 years (Politics.hu, 2010) Budapest mayor Gábor Demszky made recommendation to the next city leadership yesterday as he chaired a city council meeting for the last time after 20 years in office.
• Aug 27, 2010:
• Aug 27, 2010: Hungary: Poll indicates Fidesz set for sweeping local win (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungary's ruling Fidesz party is set to largely sweep the board in the October 3 local elections, according to a poll by the Nezopont Institute.
• Aug 26, 2010: Hungary: Green party issues complaint to police over false activists (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungarian green party Politics Can Be Different (LMP) has turned to the police with a complaint that people in Budapest's sixth district have been masquerading as activists for the green party and illegally collecting names for election nomination slips, the party told MTI on Sunday.
• Aug 26, 2010: Two-tailed dog livens up Hungary's election (Reuters, 2010) A two-tailed cartoon dog offering free beer and eternal life has galvanized Hungary's latest election campaign.
• Aug 17, 2010: Hungary: Socialists to consider proposal for election cooperation on the left (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungary's opposition Socialists are ready to consider a proposal for cooperation in the local government election campaign with the green Politics Can Be Different (LMP) and the small Social Democratic MSZDP party, Socialist campaign chief Tibor Szanyi told national daily Magyar Nemzet on Monday.
• Aug 17, 2010: Hungary: LMP introduces Budapest mayor candidate (Politics.hu, 2010) The Budapest mayor candidate of the green Politics Can Be Different (LMP) party would introduce a congestion charge for vehicles entering Budapest's city centre, the candidate told a campaign opening press-conference on Friday.
• Aug 17, 2010: Hungary: Mayoral candidates must collect more nominations than in last elections (Politics.hu, 2010) Candidates for mayor of Budapest will need to collect over 28,000 nominations, the Budapest Election Office stated on Monday. The threshold has been raised since the last elections, from 0.5% of eligible voters to 2%. Eligible voters should receive notices for the October 3 local elections and three nomination slips by Thursday.
• Aug 13, 2010: Support for center-right slightly down (Politics.hu, 2010) Voter support for Hungary's ruling centre-right Fidesz party was two percentage points down in July following a slight increase in May, the daily Nepszabadsag reported on Wednesday, citing a recent Szonda Ipsos poll.
• Aug 13, 2010: Jobbik motions to forbid proxy voting in parliamentary committees (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungary's radical nationalist Jobbik party has proposed to discontinue the practice of proxy voting in parliamentary committees, the party's MPs told reporters on Tuesday.
• Aug 13, 2010: Parliament to discuss 42 government bills in autumn (Politics.hu, 2010) The centre-right government has submitted a package of 42 bills for parliament's autumn session, parliament said on its website on Monday.
• Aug 13, 2010: Socialist politician says LMP becoming Fidesz's "pet cat" (Politics.hu, 2010) Socialist Party election campaign chief Tibor Szanyi has criticised Politics Can Be Different (LMP) and its caucus leader András Schiffer on his blog.
• Aug 13, 2010: Socialist Party selects civil groups to consult on constitution (Politics.hu, 2010) The opposition Socialist Party has proposed five civil organisations for parliament's ad hoc committee to consult during preparations for Hungary's new constitution, the party told MTI on Saturday in a statement
• Aug 13, 2010: Hungary's new constitution drafted by next March, says Fidesz official (Politics.hu, 2010) The drafting of Hungary's new constitution is likely to be completed by March 15 next year, Fidesz MEP Gyorgy Schopflin, said in an interview with Monday's Magyar Hirlap daily.
• Aug 13, 2010: Government alliance maintains overwhelming support (Politics.hu, 2010) Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his ruling centre-right Fidesz-Christian-Democratic alliance maintained overwhelming support in July, according to a poll by Nezopont Institute.
• Aug 13, 2010: New parliamentary speaker to work out new house rules by 2014 (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungary's newly-elected parliamentary speaker Laszlo Kover told MTI on Friday that he plans to focus on politics rather than protocol in his new role and work out new house rules by 2014.
• Aug 13, 2010: No need for referendum on constitution, says Orbán (Politics.hu, 2010) There is no need for a referendum on a new Constitution, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared on Friday. Interviewed on ATV, Orbán said MPs are elected to decide on important issues and turn to voters only in exceptional cases.
• Aug 13, 2010: PM Orbán praises new parliament's first two months (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungary's new parliament has achieved more in its first 56 days than previous assemblies during the past eight years, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Thursday, addressing parliament's last session before breaking up for a summer recess.
• Aug 13, 2010: Hungarian-Romanian joint gov't session planned for autumn (Politics.hu, 2010) The Hungarian and Romanian governments plan to discuss shared economic development targets at a joint session this autumn, the spokesman of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday.
• Jul 19, 2010: Hungary:Socialist Party new national board holds first meeting, Politics.hu (2010) The national board of the opposition Socialist Party held its first meeting on Thursday and preparations were started for the October local elections, party chairman Attila Mesterhazy said.
• Jul 19, 2010: Hungary:President calls local election for October 3,Politics.hu (2010) President Laszlo Solyom has called Hungary's local government elections for October 3, the President's Office told MTI on Thursday.
• Jul 19, 2010: Hungary: Governing party alliance has good chances in local elections, say analysts,Politics.hu (2010) The chances of the candidates of the governing Fidesz-Christian Democratic alliance are good to finish the autumn municipal election with good results in almost all constituencies, analysts told MTI on Thursday, after the president set October 3 as the date of the elections earlier in the day.
• Jul 19, 2010: Hungary:PM nominates Parliamentary Speaker, Constitutional Court members, Politics.hu (2010) Prime Minister Viktor Orban has nominated Laszlo Kover, head of the ruling Fidesz party's steering board, for Speaker of Parliament, Orban's spokesman announced on Friday.
• Jul 19, 2010: Hungary:Local election regulations to change (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungarians will elect 10,000 fewer local council members than the present 26,000-27,000 at the October 3 local elections, as several regulations will change.
• Jul 19, 2010: Hungary: Governing parties retain popularity (Politics.hu, 2010) Hungarians are quite optimistic about the prospects of the country and a stable majority continue to support the governing Fidesz-Christian Democratic alliance, the latest Median poll published on the news portal hvg.hu on Wednesday said.
• Jul 19, 2010: Hungary's strongest leader targets the media (The Washington Post, 2010) THE LAST TIME he served as Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban made himself a persona non grata in Washington, despite his country's membership in NATO. The George W. Bush administration was offended by Mr. Orban's habit of catering to Hungary's extreme right, which still embraces 1930s-style nationalism and anti-Semitism. Ousted in an election in 2002, Mr. Orban spent eight years in opposition before winning a landslide victory in April that gave his party a two-thirds majority in parliament -- enough to govern without help from the far right. Many Hungarians figured that Mr. Orban would temper his formerly polarizing policies. So far, he hasn't.
• Jul 12, 2010: Hungary: Fidesz nominates Tarlós for mayor candidate, Kövér may be house speaker (Politics.hu, 2010) The steering board of Hungary's ruling Fidesz party on Saturday unanimously nominated Istvan Tarlos to run for mayor of Budapest in the autumn local council elections.
• Jul 12, 2010: Hungarians Fully Supportive of Ruling Fidesz (Angus Reid Global Monitor, 2010) The ruling Hungarian Citizens Party (Fidesz) remains overwhelmingly the most popular party in the country, according to a poll by Tarki. 70 per cent of respondents—all decided voters—would support Fidesz in the next legislative election, up three points since May.
• Jul 12, 2010: Hungary: Socialist party votes in new officials, Mesterházy elected leader (Politics.hu, 2010) Attila Mesterhazy was elected leader of Hungary's main opposition Socialist party at an election congress on Saturday.
• Jul 12, 2010: Hungarian Socialists pick leaders after election trouncing (Peoples's Daily, 2010) The Hungarian Socialist Party -- MSZP -- elected new leaders on Saturday, following a crushing defeat in spring parliamentary elections after eight years at the helm of government.
• Jul 06, 2010: Hungary's new president - Fidesz' 'one-of-us' man (WAZ, 2010) BRUSSELS and BUDAPEST - For the first time since the fall of socialism, a Hungarian president has been elected with strong ties to the ruling party, Fidesz, which used its two-third parliamentary majority to secure victory for its man, Pal Schmitt.
• Jul 06, 2010: Govt’s man wins presidency (The Budapest Times, 2010) From swordsmanship to the cut and thrust of domestic politics: former Olympic fencing champion Pál Schmitt is elected President of the Republic.
• Jul 05, 2010:
• Jul 02, 2010: Hungary: Think-tank says Fidesz to benefit from new local election system, Politics.hu (2010) The Republikon Institute, a think tank, has indicated that the new local election system would likely negatively effect smaller parties and organizations who receive less than 20 percent of the vote.
• Jun 29, 2010: Schmitt Elected Hungary President as Ruling Party Tightens Grip (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2010) Pal Schmitt, a ruling party lawmaker and top sports administration official since communist times, was elected as Hungary’s next president.
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