With everyone focusing on the strong showing yesterday by Jobbik and the even more brutal-than-expected humiliations suffered by the Socialists and Liberals, little attention has been paid to the absolute drubbing meted out to the Magyarországi Cigányszervezetek Fóruma Roma Összefogás Párt (MCF), the more or less “official” party of Hungary’s Roma/Gypsy minority. According to the website of the National Election Commission, the party received just 13,440 votes, or .46% of valid ballots cast.
While there are no rock-hard data on how many Hungarians consider themselves to be Roma – and a larger than average number of Roma are likely to be below voting age, or not in a position to vote – this is still a pretty striking number. (My guess is that less than 20% of Roma voters pulled the lever for “their” party.)
Party head Orbán Kolompár (above left) tried to put a brave face on the wipeout, calling it a “foundation we can build a future on.” Whether this is true for the MCF is debatable. But if it is a sign that Hungary’s Roma are willing to put aside narrow “identity politics” in favor of integration with “non-tribal” parties, it certainly suggest a better future for the hard-pressed and isolated minority. Now if only more of Hungary’s non-Roma would start voting with their heads rather than their skin…
