Orbán to cooperate with the government?
Viktor Orbán was re-elected to serve another term as party chairman at Fidesz's congress in Budapest on Saturday, at which changes were also made to the party's constitution. Orbán called on the government to work together with the opposition party.
In a speech given after his re-election, Orbán said there was a need to develop a "work-friendly economic system, based not on speculation but on work." This was the way to create the living conditions Hungarians deserved. The government had failed to carry out its promises, he said. Experience was needed to run the country: being a good businessman and speculator and understanding privatisation did not necessarily mean that someone was able to govern well.
But Fidesz was ready to work together with the government on questions of national importance. "Rather than fighting us, the government should try leaning on us." Whilst they could not depend on Fidesz in all questions, they were ready to cooperate "on issues where a decision would be in people's interest."
In a later question-and-answer session, he discussed the "crisis" of the European Union following the French and Dutch rejections of the EU's constitutional treaty. It had been a mistake to call the treaty a constitution, which he also criticised for failing to include a reference to Christianity. A solution to the EU's crisis would only come when the countries that had joined in 2004 became "full members."
Fidesz vice-president Zoltán Pokorni warned that the party should not become complacent following its success in pushing László Sólyom to victory in the presidential elections and announced changes to the party constitution. These included the creation of two new vice-chairmanship posts, bringing the total to four, and the establishment of a new youth wing. Party membership would now also be open to proven ethnic Hungarians from neighbouring countries. The two new vice-chairmen are Ildikó Gáll Pelczné, a local councilor and lecturer at Miskolc University, and former finance minister Mihály Varga. Zoltán Pokorni and Pál Schmitt will continue to serve as vice-chairmen.