New far-right groups registered
July 13th, 2017A conservative and a pro-government commentator agree that the birth of two racist far-right groups is a consequence of Jobbik’s shift towards the centre.
Last weekend, a group of extreme right-wing organizations including the racist paramilitary Betyársereg (see BudaPost through August 18, 2011) and Identitesz calling for ‘ethnic self-defence’ founded the Strength and Determination movement. Mihály Orosz, mayor of the small east-Hungarian village of Érpatak who is known for his militant anti-Semitic and homophobic stunts as well as harsh law and order policies (see BudaPost August 6, 2014) has registered a separate party called Order and Justice.
In Magyar Nemzet, Ádám Tompos labels the two new groups as ‘outright Nazi’ and believes that they want to target radical voters dissatisfied with Jobbik’s more moderate politics. The conservative columnist underscores that the government’s anti-immigrant agenda is a far cry from overt far-right ideology, but he nonetheless accuses the government of mainstreaming ideas that can be utilized by extremist fringe movements.
Magyar Idők’s János Csontos also thinks that the new movements on the far-right are trying to fill the political space opened up by Jobbik’s centrist rebranding. But the pro-government pundit likens the efforts to unite the far-right to the Left’s efforts to patch together a meaningful electoral coalition. Csontos believes it is highly unlikely that the motley crew of militant extremist groups will be able to offer a credible political alternative.