VZCZCXRO6761
RR RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHUP #0573/01 0801551
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 211551Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8776
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUDAPEST 000573 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/NCE MICHELLE LABONTE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2016 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL SOCI HU
SUBJECT: HUNGARY'S ELECTIONS: MSZP MAY GAIN GROUND IN 
VESZPREM (C-RE6-00145) 
 
REF: STATE 22644 
 
Classified By: DCM Philip Reeker.  Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  (C) On March 14, SZDSZ and FIDESZ contacts in Veszprem 
County agreed that FIDESZ is losing its tight grip locally. 
Whereas in 2002, they enjoyed victories in six of the seven 
individual constituencies, their MSZP (Socialist) rivals may 
win as many as three this April, according to Veszprem's 
SZDSZ mayor.  However, Orban's selection of Istvan Mikola as 
his running mate may bring out more of his party's core 
voters, many of whom were expected to stay home following 
party missteps -- and the bad press that accompanied them. 
The fact that FIDESZ may be slipping from its stronghold in 
Veszprem suggests a tighter, more aggressive race nationwide. 
 
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Background 
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¶2.  (U) Voter turnout in Veszprem County matched the national 
average in 2002, when 73 percent of its 293,000 registered 
voters cast ballots.  This medium-sized county in Hungary's 
northeast has five party-list constituencies and seven 
individual constituencies spanning Veszprem (two 
constituencies), Ajka, Balatonfured, Papa, Tapolca, and 
Varpalota.   FIDESZ dominated 2002 voting in Veszprem County, 
receiving 48 percent of the popular vote against the MSZP,s 
37 percent, winning four individual constituencies in the 
first round.  In the end, FIDESZ took six of the seven 
individual constituencies, leaving one to MSZP's Bela Pal, 
currently Political State Secretary for Tourism in the Prime 
Minister's Office.  In the current race, Pal faces Tibor 
Navracsic, FIDESZ President Viktor Orban,s chief of cabinet. 
 Of the five party-list constituencies, FIDESZ won three in 
2002, and MSZP took two.  The SZDSZ performed slightly above 
the minimum five-percent threshold required to enter 
Parliament, and the far-right Truth and Life Party (MIEP) 
gathered just over three percent. 
 
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Possible Transition in Veszprem 
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¶3.  (SBU) On March 14, SZDSZ Mayor Laszlo Diossy predicted to 
Emboffs that the MSZP will gain two additional seats in 
Veszprem County in this election, giving the party three out 
of the seven individual constituencies.  Diossy cited FIDESZ 
miscues as key reasons for his optimism.  The mayor added 
that MSZP's overall campaign is "improving greatly" from its 
rocky start in January, and is having a positive effect in 
Veszprem.  However, Gyula Porga, chief strategist for FIDESZ 
candidate Tibor Navracsics, described Veszprem County as 
firmly behind FIDESZ -- although he conceded that his party's 
mistakes may keep some FIDESZ voters at home on election day. 
 
¶4.  (C) Diossy, one of only five mayors nationwide to have 
won every election since 1990, claimed that his endorsement 
will add as much as nine percent of the vote for coalition 
partner MSZP in the city of Veszprem.  Diossy added that he 
was brokering a deal between candidates Andras Szalai (SZDSZ) 
and Bela Pal (MSZP) under which Szalai would withdraw in the 
second round, throwing SZDSZ support to Pal.  In return, the 
MSZP will support the SZDSZ in the autumn mayoral race, in 
which Diossy is unsure whether he will compete. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In Veszprem, FIDESZ will benefit from the 
nomination of Istvan Mikola for Orban's proposed Deputy Prime 
Minister post, according to Porga.  The strategist added that 
Mikola is a well-known FIDESZ-slash-Christian Democrat who 
will "mobilize critical core voters" in the county, where the 
press reports of campaign misdoings are souring the FIDESZ 
faithful.  Incumbent Tibor Navracsics needs "14,000 votes" to 
win his constituency, according to Porga, and the Mikola 
announcement will help attract voters.  Porga expressed 
confidence that Navracsics's position as "Orban's top 
advisor," along with his "charismatic" style, will boost him 
to victory. 
 
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FIDESZ Strategist Talks About Blackmail 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Efforts to blackmail MDF candidates and other FIDESZ 
missteps to date are "completely unnecessary" and hurt the 
party,s chances of returning to power, said Gyula Porga. 
 
BUDAPEST 00000573  002 OF 002 
 
 
Recent media reports list one Veszprem County constituency as 
one of 27 areas where MDF candidates have been "pressured" by 
FIDESZ to withdraw from the elections.  Though MDF still has 
a candidate in the race, Porga said there is no chance of MDF 
reaching the five-percent threshold, given that it "barely" 
collected the 750 tickets necessary to appear on the ballot. 
Attempting to make the best of a bad situation, Porga laughed 
off the incident, saying "FIDESZ has always made mistakes" 
but is still the "strongest" party in Hungary. 
 
¶7.  (C) Mayor Diossy also commented on FIDESZ's gaffe-plagued 
race, saying "poor campaigning" will keep the party,s 
supporters at home.  The mayor stated that Gyurcsany recently 
drew "much bigger" crowds than Orban in Veszprem, where the 
prime minister "filled the entire sports arena, when Orban 
could not even fill a high school gym." 
 
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On the National Stage 
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¶8.  (SBU) Mayor Diossy said that Economy and Transport 
Minister Koka (SZDSZ) is running a good campaign and will 
win, but faces a "tough race in the Budapest castle 
district."  Mayor Diossy,s brother Gabor is Koka,s 
Political State Secretary and principal advisor.  The MSZP 
will pull out of the Budapest castle district race "in a few 
days," according to the Veszprem mayor, leaving Koka to face 
FIDESZ incumbent Gabor Tamas Nagy in the historically 
conservative district.  After the elections, the SZDSZ will 
turn "from ideology toward economics," bolstered by Koka,s 
"new blood," said Diossy.  The mayor acknowledged being "in 
the room" when Koka was named number two on the SZDSZ party 
list.  He identified Koka as "the future of SZDSZ." 
 
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Comment 
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¶9.  (C)  The fact that Veszprem is still too close to call 
remains true of the overall election.  It is also significant 
because the region can no longer be considered a FIDESZ 
"lock."  Unlike in past elections, FIDESZ now faces a stiff 
challenge in Veszprem, and the races there will almost surely 
not be decided in the first round.  Even a FIDESZ campaign 
strategist in the county admitted that his party's mistakes 
in the campaign will likely cost it at the ballot box.  What 
is unclear at this point is how dearly FIDESZ will pay, and 
whether MSZP will reap the benefits by picking up two 
additional constituencies. 
 
¶10.  (U)  Visit U.S. Embassy Budapest's classified website: 
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/budapest/index.cfm. 
 
 
WALKER