Lajos Kósa, Fidesz’s outgoing parliamentary group leader, said the “Soros plan” was known to “everyone”, adding that Europe should finally take control of its own fate rather than allow it to be shaped by American stock speculators.

He said it was “no surprise” that the opposition parties were in favour of immigration and accused them of having “constantly lied” about the issue of migration.

Kósa said all of the opposition speakers had denied the existence of the European Union’s mandatory migrant quota scheme, “just as they denied” the existence of the migration issue. “Now they are denying the existence of the Soros plan,” Kósa said, referring to US financier George Soros.

Radical nationalist Jobbik said that the government had steered the economy onto a “path of decline” over the past seven years. Gábor Vona, the party’s leader, said that if Jobbik came to power after next year’s general election, it would enhance the country’s security, hold “criminal politicians” to account and improve the economy.

The opposition Socialist Party said the government’s planned “national consultation” survey should focus on “the real issues” rather than the “Soros plan”. Bertalan Tóth, the party’s group leader, said what voters were actually concerned about was why their villages did not have doctors, why their family members needed to work abroad or why public procurement contracts “are always awarded to Fidesz-affiliated entrepreneurs”. Tóth said.

The 2018 election must bring about a change in government, he said, adding that his party would “do justice” if it came to power.

Green opposition LMP said next year’s election would be about whether Hungary and the Hungarian people could “shake off” the politics of the past 30 years rather than migrant quotas or Hungary’s border fence.

“Nobody is going to dismantle the fence and nobody will implement permanent migrant quotas in the European Union,” LMP group leader Bernadett Szél said. She said it was becoming increasingly clear that it was not Fidesz that would protect Hungary but rather LMP that had to protect the country from Fidesz.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Máthé Zoltán