Hungary's opposition unites against Orbán
Six Hungarian opposition parties have signed a joint declaration stating that they will run together in the next parliamentary election in 2022. The agreement stipulates that they will run with one list and field only one joint candidate per constituency. What are the chances of this alliance replacing the Orbán government?
An end to divide and rule
The Süddeutsche Zeitung describes the main challenges an opposition alliance against Orbán faces:
“The ideological distances between the parties - from the far left to the far right - must be ignored, at least for a while. The personal vanities of various party leaders must take a back seat. In addition, with its excessive gerrymandering, or in other words a division of constituencies that favours its own interests, and a press landscape dominated by pro-government media and their intimidation tactics vis-à-vis other voices, Fidesz is making it increasingly difficult for others to gain attention and influence. ... A lot could happen before the next election: the alliance could break, Orbán could further tighten the democratic thumbscrews. But for now it is excellent news that the opposition in Hungary will no longer let itself be divided or weakened.”
Fidesz won't just disappear without a trace
The opposition's expectations for this alliance are too high, Magyar Hang fears:
“One gets the impression that the opposition envisages its victory as follows: on an ecstatic election evening in April 2022, the system of 'national cooperation' and everything that has happened in the past ten years will simply disappear without a trace. ... But to bring about a change of era you have to first of all win this election, and for most of the [opposition's] concrete objectives a two-thirds majority would be necessary. ... This won't be an easy task for the opposition, especially because those who are calling the shots in this political bloc stand for a past that has been done away with.”