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PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHUP #2377/01 3320940
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P 280940Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0433
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUDAPEST 002377 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO NSC FOR ADAM STERLING 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2011 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM HU
SUBJECT: "DEMOCRACY WITHOUT COMPROMISE"; STRENGTH WITHOUT 
MAJORITY: FIDESZ PARTY CONGRESS 
 
 
Classified By: POL/C ERIC V. GAUDIOSI; REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: FIDESZ held its 21st party congress in Gyor 
November 25, introducing its new theme of "democracy without 
compromise," emphasizing its commitment to the politics of 
inclusion, and taking steps to tighten Viktor Orban's control 
over several newly-created local party fora.  End Summary. 
 
THE DILEMMA OF STRENGTH WITHOUT MAJORITY 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Although the event opened with a long video tribute 
to recently-deceased Hungarian soccer legend Ferenc Puszkas, 
the weekend got off to a rough start for FIDESZ with Friday's 
publication of photos of a minor party official in SS 
regalia.  Despite quick action to expel him from the party, 
the episode did little to polish FIDESZ's image. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Following clips of his gold medal performance in 
the Seoul Olympics men's gymnastics competition, 
newly-elected Gyor Mayor Zsolt Borkai framed FIDESZ's central 
dilemma in his welcoming remarks: how can the party turn its 
local strength into national victory? 
 
¶4.  (SBU) FIDESZ faction leader Tibor Navracsics echoed this 
theme in his address, challenging the party faithful to work 
to secure a parliamentary majority in the next national 
election.  Describing FIDESZ as "the most diverse, most 
popular, and most tolerant" party in Hungary, Navracsics 
cited strong ties to Hungarian communities abroad, to the 
Roma community, to civic organizations including the MAGASZ 
farmers association, to other conservative European parties, 
and to those "of all generations and all faiths committed to 
the ideal of a civic Hungary." 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Turning his sights on the Gyurcsany government, 
Navracsics blamed the PM for creating a "crisis of Hungarian 
democracy."  The government, he charged, has "treated the 
national budget as Gyurcsany's private account," attempting 
to run the country by "shadow committees" beyond parliament's 
oversight.  In response, he called on the party to engage 
substantively to promote its key themes of: Economic and 
Social Justice; Quality of Life; Public Services; and, 
Competitiveness. 
 
ENFORCING PARTY DISCIPLINE 
 
¶6.  (C) Several of the party's most prominent up-and-comers 
were conspicuously sidelined.  MP and Mayor of Budapest's 
Castle District Tamas Gabor Nagy was relegated to a minor 
procedural role, and Budapest's District V Mayor Antal Rogan 
attended only as a spectator.  Debrecen Mayor Lajos Kosa, a 
founding member of the party, was limited to presiding over 
open discussion of the party's platform.  (Note: Kosa did 
make the most of this role, however, defusing an embarrassing 
moment when a speaker from the crowd unfurled the "Arpad 
flag" associated with the WW II - era Arrow Cross by 
commenting "this certainly proves that we are the most ... 
diverse party."  End Note.) 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The structural changes adopted by the convention 
appear intended to both recognize the growing importance of 
grass-roots activism and reduce the chances that rivals to 
Orban - such as Kosa - will be able to use local fora as a 
stepping-stone to national prominence.  Both of the new 
bodies introducted by the party to coordinate regional 
efforts will report directly to Orban, a step political 
scientist Zoltan Kiszelly described as "new webs for the same 
spider."  In another move designed to enforce party 
discipline, a new by-law calls for the immediate and 
automatic expulsion of any party member who challenges a 
chosen FIDESZ candidate in an election. 
 
ENTER ORBAN ... AGAIN 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Party president Viktor Orban received a standing 
ovation for his keynote address, which denounced PM Gyurcsany 
as a "charlatan" and a "buffoon" responsible for Hungary's 
"moral degradation."  Speaking for a near-record one hour, 
Orban emphasized FIDESZ's strength at the local and regional 
level and asserted that "the nation cannot be in opposition." 
 He identified the party's priorities as exposing "the 
Socialists' lies," organizing reforms at the local level, and 
preparing for a referendum next year. 
 
¶9.  (C) Comment: Imperfectly scripted and sparsely attended, 
the convention was an awkward coming-out party for the "new" 
FIDESZ, perhaps best captured when one attendee removed his 
suit jacket to expose a sleeveless shirt underneath. 
Navracsics' call for substantive engagement on the issues is 
a step in the right direction, but there is little new in the 
 
BUDAPEST 00002377  002 OF 002 
 
 
party's populist and reflexively negative rhetoric.  Comments 
that Hungarians "live worse than we did four years ago" - 
FIDESZ's unsuccessful campaign slogan in the last national 
elections - were heard throughout the speeches, and there 
were few solutions proposed.  While the party does have 
significant local strength to build on following the local 
elections, Orban's moves to keep real decision-making 
authority in his own hands make it increasingly apparent that 
he wants diversity without rivalry.     Although his personal 
appeal remains FIDESZ's greatest strength, his personal 
leadership is often the party's greatest weakness.  There is 
a natural tension between Orban's policy of "excommunication" 
and local FIDESZ officials' interest in working with the 
government, and it remains to be seen whether the party is 
giving him his own way ... or giving him more rope.  End 
Comment. 
 
 
 
 
 
FOLEY