Anyone who was there in the Vasas Stadium could see the atmosphere was really relaxed and festive at the Democratic Coalition’s first birthday. One could say that the baby stood up and took a first step on the road to quick evolution. The Hungarian parliament lacks a center left, conservative political power that is open for both liberal and for social democratic values. There is no political community that would admit that it respects the freedom of competition and would stand for social capitalism with sensitivity for the poor as well.
‘Ordinary political analysts’ failed to recognize this very momentous aspect when they broadcast and interpreted the Democratic Coalition’ birthday celebrations. They did not say a single word about Csaba Molnár’s and Ferenc Gyurcsány’s speech. They miscalculated the number of attendance. Népszabadság wrote that there were 1000 people. They should have rechecked sport news in which they usually measure 2000 people when broadcasting sport events from the same stadium. This time it was as crowded as at a sport match, plus the arena was packed.
The Democratic Coalition’s birthday is a historical moment anyway. An empty field in the political scene has been occupied by Gyurcsány.
I hope MSZP (Hungarian Socialist Party) and the Democratic Coalition will be able to co-operate in a smooth way. However, MSZP started a debate over the mandates, although it promised it would not. It is funny when some speak about treachery and call upon Iván Vitányi, the father of the Hungarian social democratic movement and Ferenc Gyurcsány, the last successful left-wing politician to secure their mandates. It is even funnier when these requests come from people who and whose performance is not known at all.
The Democratic Coalition provides hope for a lot of people. It will not be a one-man party, but it will be a community of many different citizens with different political values. There were many former MSZP, SZDSZ (Alliance of Free Democrats, a former liberal party) and MDF (Hungarian Democratic Forum, winner of the first free elections in Hungary in 1990) politicians, and several other famous musicians and sportsmen also appeared at the event held in the Vasas Stadium. ‘Approximately one thousand’ were willing to complete the Democratic Coalition’s entry form. The Democratic Coalition, so far a platform within MSZP, has a total of 6000 members by now. Of course there will be some who will choose to remain in MSZP, but there will be many others who will opt for the Democratic Coalition. They will be happy with the new party without the old MSZP.
The new faction in the Parliament has been established as well. It has ten members. If the current House Rules and the Parliament’s 1996 decision are respected, then the new faction is officially functional from Monday. By the way, it was József Szájer (a Fidesz politician) who spoke in defence of the decision in 1996, when MDNP stepped out from MDF.
It will turn out soon whether Fidesz is afraid of the new faction, especially in light of their declining popularity. It will turn out if they take steps against the new faction’s formation. If they do, it will be an international scandal as they will try to numb the opposition.
http://greczy.blog.hu/2011/10/23/a_demokratikus_koalicio_szuletesnapjara