Fidesz Nominates Botond Sára Again for the Józsefváros Mayoral Election
The ruling party Fidesz has announced Botond Sára as its candidate for the mayor of Józsefváros, also known as the 8th district of Budapest.
This decision comes despite Sára's previous electoral defeats in the area, both in the 2019 local government elections and the 2022 national parliamentary elections.
Botond Sára, who served as the head of the Budapest Capital Government Office, now referred to as the chief county officer, led the district between 2018 and 2019. His tenure was followed by a loss to opposition candidate Andráss Pikó in the 2019 municipal elections. Subsequently, Sára was appointed to lead the Government Office for Budapest, a position he holds to date. His candidacy in the 2022 parliamentary elections also ended in defeat, this time to Andráss Jámbor.
The current mayor, Andráss Pikó, has recently revealed the backing of several political and civil groups for his re-election, including the C8 Civilians for Józsefváros Association, Democratic Coalition (DK), Politics Can Be Different (LMP), Momentum Movement, Dialogue for Hungary (Párbeszéd), and the Spark Movement. Despite this wide array of support, the opposition's unity faces challenges, notably from the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), which reportedly has refrained from participating in negotiations and is said to be causing obstructions.
According to reports from Telex, a potential source of conflict is the dissatisfaction among Pikó’s team with the performance of MSZP representatives in the district. They are particularly reluctant to support the re-election of any MSZP candidates in the upcoming 2024 elections, with the exception of Ferenc Miklós Camara-Bereczki, whose candidacy is endorsed by Pikó's team.
This political maneuvering sets the stage for what promises to be a closely watched and potentially contentious election in Józsefváros, reflecting the larger dynamics and divisions within Hungarian politics.