Gergely Gulyas Reveals How Fidesz Is Doing in Internal Polls

In the current situation, the Hungarian left wing coming to power is the greatest danger of all, the minister heading the Hungarian Prime Minister's Office said on a public media podcast. If the Tisza Party, which is part of the EP group of the European People's Party, and the Hungarian left were to win the elections, the demands set out in the European Union's country report on Hungary would become reality: family support schemes and home creation subsidies would be scrapped.

Gergely Gulyas, head of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office (Photo: David Matrai)

He noted that if the Tisza Party, which sits in the EP group of the European People’s Party, and the Hungarian left were to win the elections, the demands set out in the EU country report on Hungary would become reality. He pointed out that the government has been fighting for a long time to make Brussels accept that there will be a 13th-month pension regardless of all objections, and that a 14th-month pension will also be introduced. He added that Hungary has a flat-rate personal income tax and a low corporate tax. "They would dismantle family support programs and home creation subsidies as well," he said.

The minister identified as a key sentence of the Tisza Party's program the words of vice president Zoltan Tarr, who said that if the the public were aware of their real intentions, they would fail. Gergely Gulyas said that earlier examples, when the left came to power in Hungary after 1990, show exactly what would happen. "They praised the family support system and home creation scheme and said that they would perhaps give more, and then they abolished everything," he recalled. Even if they had the intention, Peter Magyar, the Tisza Party, and the Hungarian left would not be in a position to reject Brussels' program, whose goal is to bring Ukraine into the European Union as soon as possible," the politician stressed.

If someone wants to finance Ukraine, then tax increases are indeed necessary, and everything included in the program commissioned by the Tisza Party is indeed required,

he added.

Gergely Gulyas said there is no point in philosophizing about minority governance, and in response to suggestions of forming a coalition with the Our Homeland Movement, he said they want the Fidesz–KDNP party alliance to win an absolute majority, and based on what they know today, there is a good chance of that. In his view, the idea of transitioning to a presidential system only arose during constitutional process, and even then there was no serious debate about it. "In Hungary, the parliamentary system has traditions, and ministerial responsibility has traditions as well," he said.

During the program, speaking about Tamas Sulyok, he said that he is an excellent President of the Republic and one of the most respected legal scholars in Hungary, and therefore it is reassuring for everyone that he holds the office of head of state.

Gergely Gulyas: It has been an honor to work in the government, and it will always be an honor in the future (Source: Facebook)

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The minister also touched on a court ruling that banned the tabloid Bors from distributing its special issue presenting the Tisza Party's program. "After 1990, judges in Hungary were expected to refrain from all political activity and not to express party sympathies. The fact that judges who are known to be party supporters pass judgments poses a serious rule-of-law risk and significantly undermines trust in the independence of the judiciary," he stated.

Gergely Gulyas revealed that at the Fidesz congress no further formal decision needs to be made at the Fidesz congress on Viktor Orban being the party’s prime ministerial candidate. "In Fidesz, it has never arisen in recent years that the party could enter an election campaign with better chances with anyone other than the incumbent Prime Minister," he said.

The politician also spoke about the EU funds Hungary is entitled to. He said that out of the 21 billion euro framework, 13 billion euros are still accessible today. "Since the EU must adopt its next seven-year budget unanimously, it cannot happen that Hungary loses money or resources, because there will be no new budget until then. This is a sufficiently strong position, and the Commission is obviously aware of this as well," he said.

Finally, the minister also responded to the question of whether he would take on a role in a future cabinet. This is a premature question, Gergely Gulyas said, adding that it has been an honor to work in the government, and it will always be an honor in the future.

Cover photo: Gergely Gulyas, head of the Prime Minister’s Office,  on the podcast Do I Have Anything Else to Say, Ildiko? (Source: Facebook)