The aggressive demonstrations organised by a handful of opposition politicians and sympathisers have all to do with the opposition’s race for visibility rather than social issues, says Nézőpont Institute in response to the events of recent days.
Opposition parties had been focusing on their internal affairs and issues affecting fringe groups throughout the autumn causing voters’ interest to fade. Thus it is understandable that at the end of the parliamentary season, with the next one starting in February, they wanted to remind their voters that there was indeed an opposition. The Overtime Law or the CEU case were therefore only an excuse for the protests, which were not actual public initiatives but rather self-serving acts on behalf of the opposition. Since they will probably run in next May’s European Parliamentary election with individual lists and their success depends on core voters due to the expectedly low turnout, more of these spectacular but meaningless and self-serving actions can be expected in the future. And yet scandal, the use of violence, subversion and confrontation with the police who are held in high regard are dangerous means that not only upset pro-government voters and those without a party preference but also repel the moderate contingent of opposition supporters.