The new Fidesz manifesto: the same, with us, next year

The government is following the "Putin model," says Fidesz, which claims in its new manifesto to want a "western-style" democracy. Fidesz officials are reluctant to believe their party is truly as popular as the opinion polls show. They think it is a trick, allowing their opponents to laugh as their support levels dwindle from the beginning of next year.

Tibor Navracsics was behind the decision to launch the manifesto at yesterday's conference at the Golyavar in Budapest. It was he who created a coherent document out of a series of seminar debates. This explains why the 100-page document has little of the rabble-rousing enthusiasm of its predecessor. The electoral manifesto created by Viktor Orban out of the 2006 'National Consultation' offered something concrete to almost every social group. The new manifesto, A Strong Hungary, only promises the hope of a better future. But, if one is to believe party sources, the party chairman's voice will be heard. Orban recently retreated to his house in Felcsut to create a more populist version of this dry manifesto. This is to be a continuation of his recent book "There is one country."

© Fazekas István

The party was not unanimous on the need for a manifesto in the middle of the parliamentary term. Even if the prime minister were to change, as in 2004, there would be little chance of a shift in the parliamentary balance of power. Calling the referendums (on GP consultation fees, tuition fees and hospital fees) early elections is just a poetic metaphor, just as it was when Viktor Orban called the 2006 local elections "the third round of the parliamentary elections."

Fidesz's new manifesto sets out some general principles. It sketches out the world view that should underpin a later electoral or governmental manifesto, according to Navracsics. That the party has failed to come up with any details is explained away by saying that they have learned from Angela Merkel's mistake. By outlining concrete proposals, they say, she gave the Social Democrats the chance to highlight their weaknesses, allowing them to chip away at her substantial lead. In the past, Fidesz has said the government would steal any good ideas they unveiled at this point. Things have changed to the extent that Fidesz now says it does not mind if the government does what Fidesz wants, but that they do mind if this is done by plagiarising and distorting their ideas. This happened with the budgetary supervision authority idea, they say: Fidesz wanted a small oversight board. This became a much larger oversight authority.

The manifesto is designed to show that the party is read for government. Fidesz has been trapped on a single course since unveiling its referendum proposals last autumn, becoming the prisoner of a permanent referendum campaign. They are obliged to discuss consultation, tuition and hospital fees even when much larger issues - like health insurance - are at stake.