Fidesz loses two thirds majority
February 24th, 2015Commentators agree in interpreting the outcome of the Veszprém by-election as a warning for the government and an encouragement to the opposition.
In a front page editorial, Népszabadság writes that the opposition badly needed proof that its efforts are not necessarily in vain. More than depriving Fidesz of its two thirds majority in Parliament, the victory of the opposition candidate is proof that opposition to the government does make sense, Népszabadság writes.
In Népszava, editor Péter Németh believes that with their defeat of the Fidesz candidate, the voters of Veszprém have begun a process which will lead to the demise of PM Orbán. He still commands a strong majority in the House, but the myth of his party’s invincibility has been broken. What is missing is a mature opposition fit to govern Hungary, Németh concludes.
In Magyar Nemzet, deputy editor Szabolcs Szerető suggests that the Prime Minister should take the Veszprém defeat as a warning and revise his policies. That would be all the more advisable, he says, since the erosion of Fidesz’s electorate is gathering a worrying momentum.