Hungary’s parliamentary parties at talks on Monday failed to agree on a proposal by two international NGOs to clean up campaign financing, with the main opposition saying they would come back to the table in a week’s time.
The five parties met to discuss the proposal Freedom House Europe and Transparency International had put forward in early October on creating a bill to shorten the election campaign, introduce campaign accounts and limit the amount available per candidate to 5 million forints (EUR 18,700).
The ruling Socialists, the liberal Free Democrats and the small conservative Hungarian Democratic Forum supported the draft text and added their own proposals on party financing, said Balint Molnar of Freedom House Europe.
He noted that the three parties expressed readiness to vote in favour of the proposal in its present form, too.
Main opposition Fidesz and it Christian Democrat ally promised to put forward substantive proposals by the middle of next week, said Molnar.
The bill requires a two-thirds majority in order to pass.
