Fidesz: Gyurcsany the new leader of the left wing

 (MTI) – Ferenc Gyurcsany, the former Socialist prime minister who heads the Democratic Coalition (DK) party, has now again become the leader of Hungary’s left-of-centre opposition, a Fidesz official said on Saturday.

Gyurcsany is now dictating its programme which will put in danger the current government’s tax benefits, maternity support and cuts to household utility bills, Antal Rogan, leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group told a news conference.

Commenting on recent developments in talks between the opposition forces the Socialist Party, E-PM and DK, Rogan said it had become clear that Gyurcsany was now taking the initiative and it was his programme that would come out as the winner.

Gabriella Selmeczi, a Fidesz spokeswoman, told a news conference on Friday that it was clear from an interview given by Socialist MEP Zita Gurmai that the Socialists were planning to scrap the current government’s so-called Gyed-extra maternity benefits.

The left-of-centre opposition is this weekend continuing talks on how to divide individual constituencies between them on their joint list before the spring election. The Socialists and former prime minister Gordon Bajnai’s E-PM electoral alliance recently decided to expand cooperation to include other parties, Gyurcsany’s among them. It is expected that on Wednesday, the Socialists and E-PM will agree on the joint list and they will also be open to proposals put forward by Gyurcsany. The meetings are being held in a private apartment rather than political headquarters in a bid to prevent leaks.