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FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
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INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUDAPEST 000070 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CE JAMIE MOORE. 
NSC FOR JHOVENIER. 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2015 
TAGS: PGOV HU
SUBJECT: SOCIALIST PM CANDIDATE TALKS CAMPAIGN STRATEGY 
WITH AMBASSADOR 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Paul O'Friel 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary. Socialist prime ministerial candidate Attila 
Mesterhazy is planning a vigorous nation-wide campaign 
against Viktor Orban's well-oiled Fidesz machine.  Although 
likely to go down in defeat in the April elections, 
Mesterhazy is positioning himself for the inevitable internal 
struggle for power within the Socialist party, with ambitions 
to combine the post of party president with his current 
position as caucus leader.  End Summary. 
 
ONE MILLION HANDSHAKES AND 
THE MESSAGE "IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID" 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Socialist party caucus leader and prime ministerial 
candidate Attila Mesterhazy briefed Ambassador February 2 on 
his campaign plans for the run-up to April's national 
elections.  His slogan, he said, would be "one million 
handshakes" in a nation-wide door-to-door effort to get out 
the Socialist message and mobilize voters. 
 
¶3.  (C) Cribbing from the American playbook, Mesterhazy said 
he intended to harp on the theme, "It's the economy, stupid." 
 He said his party would focus on three main axes.  The first 
would emphasize the concrete results the Socialists had 
achieved while in office, with a stress on the 
accomplishments of the Bajnai government.  The second would 
highlight Fidesz's "lies" and unrealistic promises.  The 
third would articulate Socialist values and their vision for 
Hungary's future.  Mesterhazy said the Socialists had already 
test-marketed their message and slogans in several villages 
and were ready for a national roll-out the week of February 8. 
 
¶4.  (C) Mesterhazy, however, recognizes he faces a tough 
fight against opposition leader Viktor Orban and his 
well-oiled Fidesz machine.  With name recognition and 
popularity still low and Socialists' poll numbers at 20-30 
percent, Mesterhazy admitted, "We have a long way to go." 
 
¶5.  (C) Nonetheless, Mesterhazy believes that, with the 
country demanding change, his youth (he is 36) and relative 
newness on the political stage represent distinct advantages. 
 He observed that Orban has been a fixture in Hungarian 
political life for more than 20 years.  "Someone who has been 
around that long can't represent change; they're simply not 
credible.  I, however, can." 
 
CERTAIN SOCIALISTS CAN WIN IN 2014, 
WITH AMBITIONS TO BECOME PARTY PRESIDENT 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Although professing to believe in a miracle in April, 
Mesterhazy is quick to concede that defeat is all but 
certain, and is clearly positioning himself to be the 
dominant figure in his party in the post-election landscape. 
Saying that the Socialist party needed innovation and 
modernization, he stated that, "The day after the elections, 
we have to evaluate seriously the last eight years, and then 
change modalities and personalities."  "I am certain we can 
win in 2014," Mesterhazy added. 
 
¶7.  (C) Mesterhazy said he intended to stay on as caucus 
leader and fight to be the party's president.  He expected a 
challenge from former Prime Minister Gyurcsany, a one-time 
mentor for whom he has little love.  "We can't let him regain 
power," Mesterhazy said.  Mesterhazy continued that he had 
good relations with Prime Minister Bajnai, who would campaign 
for him.  More technocrat than politician, Bajnai had done a 
good job as prime minister, he said.  Mesterhazy predicted 
Bajnai would leave office with a good reputation and would 
have "no problem finding his way" whatever he subsequently 
chose to do. 
 
¶8.  (C) COMMENT.  Clever, adroit, and ambitious, Mesterhazy 
has taken up his party's standard in a doomed campaign as a 
way to develop nation-wide name recognition -- something he 
has lacked -- as well as to position himself for the 
inevitable internal struggle for power after the Socialist's 
all-but-certain defeat.  Whatever the outcome of either 
fight, we expect he is going to be around the political scene 
here for some time to come. 
KOUNALAKIS