Can PM Orbán be defeated in the near future?

A centrist analyst maintains that PM Orbán is not a dictator, but rather a highly professional politician who is unlikely to be defeated by the current Left. A liberal pundit replies by pointing out that in 2002, Orbán was defeated by Péter Medgyessy, who was considered to be an unprofessional politician.

PM Orbán is neither a political superhero, nor the greatest enemy of Hungarians, Gábor Török believes. The centrist analyst claims that looking back on the past two and a half decades and trying to make an unbiased judgement, one must acknowledge that PM Orbán is an excellent politician.

Török admits that Orbán has surprised him and made him reconsider his understanding of politics as an analyst. He recalls that in 2002 he believed that Orbán should have stepped down and allowed himself to be replaced by a less divisive personality as Fidesz leader, if the centre-right party was ever to defeat the Left. But Orbán made a comeback, despite his deeply polarizing qualities. As a statesman, Orbán is highly professional and would not miss any opportunity in order to gain and keep power, or to discredit his opponents, but he nonetheless respects democratic principles, Török suggests. “Orbán is the only person who in the past twenty-four years has been able to survive and build real power through democratic means”, Török continues. As Orbán is not a dictator, he will at some point be defeated, Török predicts. But for this to happen, a new Left should emerge, since the current opposition have no clue how to challenge him, he concludes.

Cink’s Albert Gazda does not dispute Török’s claim that Orbán plays by the rules of democracy, but suggests that Orbán may yet be defeated by someone with less political expertise and knowledge. After all, in 2002 Péter Medgyessy, a man often criticized for being unprofessional, defeated Orbán, Gazda recalls.

Tags: Orbán