Opposition parties blast Orbán’s ‘Soros plan’ public survey plans

The opposition Socialist and Democratic Coalition (DK) parties on Thursday lambasted the government’s plan to launch a nationwide public survey on the so-called “Soros plan”, calling on the ruling parties to focus on more important issues.

Earlier in the day, Lajos Kósa, the Fidesz party’s outgoing group leader, confirmed reports that his party had requested the government to conduct a “national consultation” survey on the “Soros plan”, referring to US financier George Soros.

In reaction to Kósa’s announcement, László Botka, the Socialist Party’s candidate for prime minister, called on the government to focus the survey on the state of Hungary’s health-care sector.

“Rather than continuing its fear-mongering and manufacturing conspiracy theories, Fidesz should finally deal with Hungary’s real problems,” Botka said in a statement.

He said that if Fidesz were interested in a real consultation with voters, the questionnaire should ask them whether they prefer that the government focus its spending on the construction of sports stadiums or improving health care.

The survey should also ask the public whether it thinks Hungary should support the establishment of a European prosecutor so that “certain groups cannot steal European development funds”, he said.

Meanwhile, DK called on the prime minister not to spend taxpayer money on “foolish campaigns”.