To a question about one of his previous remarks about plans to merge the central bank (NBH) and the financial markets supervision (PSZÁF), Orbán said the question is "whether these institutions are fulfilling their tasks they had been commissioned with."

In a very diplomatic response to the inquiry about Fidesz’s intentions in this regard, he said it was the Hungarian Parliament that creates the relevant laws and "has the right to amend these or leave them as they are."

He criticized the markets watchdog for letting Hungarians become extremely vulnerable because of the (foreign currency) loans they had been taking out. He said this responsibility is shared with public authorities and the parliament as well which only "looked on passively". "Some changes would be justified here" [at the PSZÁF] he added.

Orbán also said they would like to be "proud" of institutions such as the PSZÁF and the central bank and their respective leaders. The central bank, he said, should not "serve as the lodging for offshore knights", most likely referring to NBH Governor András Simor, who had been in the centre of media attention and a constant target of Fidesz last year for his ownership of a Cyprus-based company.

In December 2009, Simor liquidated his Cyprus-based company that had been a bone of contention with opposition party Fidesz. Simor came under attack in June when opponents claimed his investment in an "offshore" company served the purpose of tax evasion."

Source: Portfolio Online Financial Journal