MEP Márton Gyöngyösi was elected president of the Jobbik Movement for Hungary by the opposition party’s congress in Budapest on Saturday.
At the press conference following the meeting, it was announced that the new president received 68 percent of the votes, while his rival, István Földi, received 29 percent. Márton Gyöngyösi confirmed MTI’s report that the third candidate, Balázs Ander, had withdrawn before the election.
Márton Gyöngyösi stressed that Jobbik members want the party to rebuild after a period of unrest. He added that since „there is no real national and real conservative party on the political scene in Hungary today,” he wants to lead and build one.
Gyöngyösi stressed that there may be opposition cooperation in the future, but Jobbik must now focus on strengthening its own national conservative policy.
In response to a question from a journalist, he said that he was counting on the work of everyone in the party and its parliamentary group. Asked whether former Jobbik leader Péter Jakab could keep his post, he said that it was up to the group to decide.
As is known, Gyöngyösi said during a speech in parliament that
„it is time to take stock of how many people of Jewish origin are living here, and especially how many are in the Hungarian Parliament and the Hungarian government, as they pose a certain national security risk to Hungary.”
– he said.
„I think Hungary deserves such a list.”
– Gyöngyösi added.
Gyöngyösi later said that he „apologizes to his Jewish compatriots” for what he said were misleading statements, but he maintained that the government should publish the list of Hungarian-Israeli dual citizenship government members and MPs. At the time, the MP said that he had not even considered resigning and that the matter was closed.
Jobbik’s presidential election had to be called because, although Péter Jakab was re-elected in early May, he resigned a month later, citing a dispute with the presidency.
