It looks like a trailer for a thriller movie. In fact, it's a campaign video for the Hungarian Green Party, LMP, that strikes hard at every actor in Hungarian politics.
The video accuses the new Green party, PM (Dialogue for Hungary), of weakness for joining the Together 2014 electoral alliance, led by Gordon Bajnai, the former technocrat prime minister. And former LMP party colleague, Gergely Karácsony, is roundly branded a traitor. In fact, LMP seems to attack the whole political establishment.
The final scene of a dramatic divorce
For those enticed by films about political battles, this video might be better described as a classic, divorce case drama. The new green party, PM, was founded by former LMP members a little more than a year ago, on 17th February 2013, after a series of unsuccessful negotiations on the subject of cooperation with other opposition parties.
Unfortunately for LMP, those who left in favour of an eventual (now realized) cooperative alliance were the most popular members of LMP. (And LMP continues, piece by piece, to fall apart with Gábor Vágó – the tall man with the mustache – the latest to leave the party because of the inner tensions.)
Unfortunately for LMP, those who left in favour of an eventual (now realized) cooperative alliance were the most popular members of LMP. (And LMP continues, piece by piece, to fall apart with Gábor Vágó – the tall man with the mustache – the latest to leave the party because of the inner tensions.)
As the two Hungarian green parties still share similar values, the break-up has disadvantaged both. For example, LMP is hostile to both nuclear energy and political corruption. The same can be said of PM as well. But because their protest actions are separate, they reach less people individually than they could together.
A protest organized by LMP in front of the Ministry of National Economy, on Sunday, 26th January, invited an Austrian Green, Matthias Köchl, to present the Austrian energy model as an alternative to the second nuclear unit at Paks. Meanwhile, the new PM party, together with Bajnai and other opposition party allies, organized another anti-Paks protest on Sunday, 2nd February, in front of Hungary's parliament building.
Better to have two protests instead of one, one could say... but LMP would never join a protest with PM, and neither did PM join the LMP protest on 26th January. The two parties remained resolutely separate, despite both protests following the same objectives and principles.
Kata Csiba (LMP) speaking against the Paks pact, in front of the Ministry of National Economy building,
on Sunday, 26th January
Benedek Jávor, co-president of the new green and left party, PM, making arguments against nuclear energy,
on the following Sunday, 2nd February
The Shadows
Both the PM party and Bajnai, being part of the united opposition, now share a campaign with the socialist party (MSZP) and other small parties, presenting a series of politicians who once appeared to have left politics.
Gábor Fodor, leader of the new liberal party, is certainly considered by LMP as one of the
shadows of the past. Here he is, also speaking against the Paks-pact, on 2nd February, 2014.
Dissatisfaction campaign
The LMP video focuses on feelings of dissatisfaction and disdain. In fact, it presents a sense of isolation in politics, associating all the rest (all but LMP) – together with the accusations of weakness and treason – with unattractive captions like oppression, dishonesty, deviousness and corruption.
The last of these is really the key campaign theme of the party. PM organized a flash-mob in front of the tax authority building, on Friday, 22nd November, and suggested the creation of a board of enquiry, but insufficient signatures were collected.
Bernadett Szél, speaking against corruption in front of the National Tax Authority office in
Dob Street, on 22nd November, 2013.
In January, a range of polls showed LMP receiving 2% to 4% public support. The most recent poll, by Median, gives LMP 4% support from those in the population of voting age, and only 3% support from decided voters. That will not satisfy the entry conditions to parliament. These apply a minimum 5% threshold of votes cast at an election to gain a parliamentary seat.
Written by Csilla Katona
Edited by Jeremy Stanford at Copyfit Budapest