Reporters from the Azonnali website recently asked Fidesz supporters gathered outside the House of Terror in Budapest how long they wanted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to stay in power. Going on 12 years in office, he is the third longest serving prime minister in Hungarian history, and will become the second longest in summer 2018, following his all but certain victory in upcoming parliamentary elections. The responses of these Fidesz supporters, representing both the elderly and young voters, is telling. Only two people interviewed suggested that Mr. Orbán should remain in power until he has adequate support from the electorate and one of those to give this response was pro-Fidesz political scientist and editor of the 888.hu tabloid site Gábor G. Fodor. Every other respondent believed that how long Mr. Orbán stayed in office was entirely up to the prime minister and not the electorate, with most expressing hope that he remained in office for life or for at least another two decades.
“How many more years should Viktor Orbán rule?”–asked Martin Bukovics.
“For however long. As long as he lives,” responded a man in his sixties.
“For however long he lives,” added another elderly man, and then a middle-aged woman chimed in: “until the end of his life.”
This was followed by a woman in her twenties who added: “For at least another four. And if he continues to govern so well, then another eight years or even longer.”
An elderly woman, who noted with some pride that she always responds to every “national consultation” that the government mails to her, said that Mr. Orbán should remain in power “as long as he can.” A man wearing a Hungarian flag as a scarf thought it best if Mr. Orbán remained prime minister for another twenty years, “at minimum.”
When a young man, probably in his late teens, was asked the same question, he said that Mr. Orbán should remain in power “until he feels like it.” He then clarified that this means so long as Mr. Orbán does not feel exhausted.
“Let him govern until I am live,” declared one woman. “I am now eighty years old. So I’ll say another 15 years. I don’t want to see anyone else, but Orbán!-“–she exclaimed.
Screen capture from the Azonnali video.
One of only two people interviewed who seemed to have an understanding of democracy was the pro-Fidesz political scientist, Gábor G. Fodor. Mr Orbán will stay in power “until the people say ‘yes’ to him,” remarked Mr. Fodor and then added: “It depends on this, does it not?”
Azonnali’s journalist also asked who might one day replace Mr. Orbán in power. Most people named János Lázár, the powerful Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, who is widely suspected of having such ambitions.
***
Gergely Gulyás, one of the most accomplished and youthful Fidesz politicians who at age 36 leads the government party’s caucus in parliament, gave an interview to the pro-government daily Magyar Idők, in which he downplayed high expectations for a super-majority win in 2018, suggesting that polls showing an insurmountable Fidesz lead should be taken with a grain of salt. Clearly, he does not want Fidesz voters to become too confident and politically passive. But he added: “It is the historic accomplishment of the intellectual base of the former Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ), that it has managed to cause far more damage to the left-liberal camp than we could ever do, despite our every effort.”
