Jobbik to join the European People’s Party?

The victories on the municipal elections show that Jobbik did not disappear, but it is still a strong Hungarian opposition party. Márton Gyöngyösi, Jobbik’s single member of the European Parliament (MEP) and vice-chairman of the party, talked about their plans on an international press conference.

Mr Gyöngyösi was elected MEP 3 months ago, is a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and a substitute member in the Committee on International Trade which he regards a considerable success. About the European parliamentary elections, he said that those political forces could gain support who had a clear, polarising message. Fidesz was talking about migration and sovereignty while Democratic Coalition and Momentum emphasised that they would like to create a federal Europe. Furthermore, they were able to bring up new faces, and this is the reason for their success. Meanwhile,

Jobbik did not have a new face

and stood somewhere in the middle, saying that they want deeper integration but only if some conditions are fulfilled. For example, if the EU starts to deal with the wage differences between the Western and the Eastern member states. He emphasised that it cannot be accepted if a country’s economy is built on cheap labour like in the case of today’s Hungary. The competitiveness of the Hungarian companies must be increased, and the brain-drain from the country must be stopped.

Gyöngyösi said that the results of the municipal elections are evidence that Jobbik did not disappear. Sadly, it is still weak in Budapest, but it has strong candidates in the country: never before happened that Jobbik members gained the opportunity to lead county towns as mayors. This signs that Jobbik can organise campaigns and that