After "40 years of frontline politics" and constant pressure from opponents, Orban had "a very strong life force", and from the first moment he was thinking about how to keep the community together and lay the foundations for a new rise - Navracsics said about his impression of Orban at post-election meetings.

When asked if he agreed with the view that Orban could be a phoenix rising from the ashes, he said this would soon become clear. "The first year is defining in a four-year period..." he said.

It was likely, he said, that Orban would be the sole candidate for the Fidesz presidency at the party's congress next weekend, and it was also conceivable that Orban could be the party's candidate for prime minister in the 2030 elections.

Fidesz and Orban, he added, had been written off several times before, but it could be ruled out that he would rise again to become the country's most popular politician leading the most popular party.

Navracsics said Orban had made a good decision not to take up his seat in parliament, adding that this suggested he was taking responsibility. If Orban were sitting in parliament, people would say he was not facing up to the election defeat.

But renewal was needed, he insisted, suggesting that the party's deputy leaders could change, as there was a need to open up to the countryside. One sign of renewal could be having a mayor in the leadership, he suggested.

Asked whether former justice minister Judit Varga could have a role, he said she was a particularly talented politician and it was up to her whether to return or not.

Navracsics identified the main reasons for the election defeat as the failure to connect with young people and the middle class, the one-dimensional nature of the party's communication, and that the party had not explained in sufficient detail why it was asking for another four years.

Looking to the future, he said Fidesz had always responded to election defeats with some form of organisational innovation, and these had always been successful. Currently, meetings are focused on determining how to "bring new life and new blood into the body of the party", he said.

Regarding his own role, he said he had not been asked to take on a frontline political role, but rather to maintain contact with mayors and local council chairs, and ensure the flow of information between the parliamentary group, the local government sphere, and the president and the local government sphere.

Regarding the investigative committees announced by the new government, Navracsics said he expected "nothing good" from them, calling them "show trials" reminiscent of the communist era.

"They're trying to drag all of us through the mud; I have no illusions about this," he said, adding that all this "will turn Hungarian democracy on its head", damaging public trust in Hungary to such an extent that it would affect everyday life.

This is because "investigative committees rather than courts will be making the decisions", which he said breached one of the fundamental principles of the rule of law.

Regarding the removal of the president, he said the constitution defined how the president is elected and how and in what cases the presidential mandate can be terminated. 

"This is a constitutional issue ... it is not a majority issue, not a democracy issue," he said, adding that it was unlikely that circumstances would arise that would lead to the termination of the presidential mandate, so Tamas Sulyok was likely to remain in his position.

Regarding "bringing EU funds back home", he said that, as things stood, just as they had under the previous government, the current prime minister had received "a positive statement of intent" from the president of the European Commission, but this required fulfilling a number of conditions, and quickly.

Regarding the current parliamentary majority and the government, he said the future was unpredictable, as a party of 29 members was running the country with a parliamentary group of 141.

He said it was time to see "those bills that implement their plans, or at least outline what kind of Hungary they want, for example in next year's budget", adding that he had not yet seen any bill that "would substantially address the problems they have raised."

So far, he said, mostly political and symbolic bills have been drawn up, but what would determine how strong, popular, and supported the prime minister and the government were would be how they managed to implement their decisions.

Regarding the settlements, he said it had become a practice in politics to try to hobble rivals through the exploitation of criminal law, but in his view, "voters can distinguish between illegal acts and political presence and the representation of values."

Regarding Prime Minister Peter Magyar's political statements, he said: "He has to lead this country now" as "he is Hungary's prime minister, not a department head" whose role is to reprimand or praise others.

Instead, "he insults, shouts, and offends", which "is also a decline in standards for Hungarian democracy".

Photo: Pixabay.com

MTI Stock Photo

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. 

*********************************************************************************************

You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: 

Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoop’s groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary

You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters

Showcase Your Business to Expats in the Loop:

As an independent portal we’re grateful to all commercial supporters who help keep you in the loop with fresh insights and inspiration. Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? If so please contact us here.