Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Hungary's new opposition PM candidate wants stronger ties with EU

Hungary's new opposition PM candidate wants stronger ties with EU

Hungary should strengthen ties with the European Union, put its economy on a path to adopting the euro currency and join the European Public Prosecutor's Office to root out corruption, the opposition's joint prime ministerial candidate told Reuters.

Peter Marki-Zay, a political outsider with no party affiliation, will challenge Prime Minister Viktor Orban in an election next year after winning an opposition primary on Sunday.

Marki-Zay will lead an alliance of six opposition parties against Orban. His comments to Reuters set him apart from Orban who, after over a decade in power, has strained relations with many EU leaders, particularly over democratic standards.

"Hungary's main priority should be a reorientation of its foreign policy, which is not merely a symbolic step," Marki-Zay said late on Sunday among jubilant supporters in a Budapest bistro where he announced his victory.

Marki-Zay, a 49-year-old conservative, said Orban's close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, China and Turkey were not in line with what he called European values.

"For us, European values, European integration, democracy, the rule of law and a free market economy are extremely important values," he said. "The fight against corruption would be a part of this statement of values."

The EU is at loggerheads with the nationalist government in Budapest over issues ranging from migration policy and LGBT rights to media freedoms.

The row over democratic standards has contributed to a delay in payments to Hungary from the EU's COVID-19 pandemic recovery fund.

Opinion polls show Orban's ruling Fidesz and the opposition alliance running neck-and-neck though they do not yet gauge the impact of Marki-Zay's victory on Sunday.

Mujtaba Rahman, Managing Director at the Eurasia Group think tank, said he now put the likelihood of Orban winning a simple majority at 55%, compared with 65% previously, and that the chances of an opposition alliance majority had risen from 20% to 40%.

BATTLING CORRUPTION


If the opposition alliance wins, Hungary should join the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), Marki-Zay said. The EPPO has the authority to investigate fraud against the EU budget, as part of a clampdown on corruption.

"Hungary must not veto steps aimed at deepening European integration," Marki-Zay said. "It is intolerable that a country can say no to joining the EPPO to shield its corrupt autocrats."

Orban's government has opted out of joining the EPPO, and said the decision was a question of sovereignty.

Marki-Zay said Hungary should rebalance its economy to be able to adopt the euro though he added that a surge in inflation and the budget deficit because of pre-election spending meant this would be unlikely to happen during the next parliament. NL8N2R718P

Hungary has no target date to adopt the euro.

Marki-Zay said Hungary was unlikely to enter the ERM-2 mechanism, a mandatory stage for joining the euro, before 2026.

He also said he would review flagship deals made under Orban with Russia and China, including a 12.5-billion-euro ($14.48-billion) contract to expand Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant that was awarded to Russia's Rosatom without a tender, and a high-speed rail link between Budapest and Belgrade.

"We will have to see whether these deals serve Hungarian national interests," Marki-Zay said, adding that he did not oppose nuclear energy but saw a lack of competition in awarding the project.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×