Hungary's parties campaigning for the two rounds of the April general election have so far spent a combined 400 million forints (EUR 1.4 m), anti-corruption NGOs said on Thursday.
Representatives of Freedom House, Transparency International and the Karoly Eotvos Political Institute told a news conference that the most money, 160 million forints, had been spent by the ruling Socialist party of which 70 million has been turned to outdoor advertising.
The favourites to win the elections, main opposition party Fidesz, has devoted 100 million forints to its campaign so far.
The Democratic Forum has spent 67 million forints and radical nationalist party Jobbik 46 million. The small green party LMP has 24 million forints at stake so far.
Refreshed data can be followed at www.kepmutatas.hu (which translates as hypocricy.hu).
Balint Molnar, the head of Freedom House Europe, said party spending in February on advertising outdoor and in the media has not yet keyed into the data.
Laszlo Majtenyi, the head of the Eotvos Institute, said that people appraising the campaign spending could not even begin to guess at what civil groups were spending on the respective party campaigns.
"The problem is not that the parties are spending lots but they are resorting to illegal funding," Majtenyi said. He added that it was obvious that the purported figure of around one million forints per candidate (there are 386 seats in the chamber) was impossible to campaign with. Noemi Alexa, the head of Transparency International Hungary, said that the NGOs had proposed reforms to campaign financing last year, with provisions to cap spending at 5 million forints per candidate and stronger oversight by the State Audit Office (ASZ). Transparency rules on expenditure would have also applied in order to ensure a free and open election, she said.
But since the parties had been unable to agree on a campaign finance law, the NGOs have decided to keep constant tabs on campaign spending, Alexa said.
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"160 million forints, had been spent by the ruling Socialist party"
They are spending some of the money they stole from the Hungarian people to tell them how well they governed those they exploited ruthlessly.
Some of the MSZP people on those large posters may soon find themselves in tiny cells unless they are those fortunate who get immunity. They are really screeching to get at the top of their ticket.
MDF’s David and Herenyi will probably not get in and may have to face the music.
Jailhouse blues :-)
radical nationalist party Jobbik 46 million
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1st Jobbik needed several years to put together the financial papers showing how much they use (to show any hidden/illegal funding), then they put up the very low figure of 10 MHUF spent during several years. The spent amount must also correlate to official income
.
Now they spent 46 MHUF and we are still counting, so where does this money come from?
.
Obviously not from the State and so much do not 3 MEPs earn
How much can 5-10 000 active members pay, especially as many live in the poor East?
Vikings a Looser , na na. na na..na
Vikings a Looser , na na. na na..na
Tinkabell at March 5, 2010 10:13 PM
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Of course, and you are the crown of human development
Nice that we both can agree
The MSZP and its leaders are the scourge of the Hungarian people. But Hungarians elected them and they only have themselves to blame.
Bajnai was the fall guy but Gyurscany Ferenc is the real deal, commie shitbag, that should be removed from politics altogether and hung from the nearest lampost.
This should send a message to Fidesz that corruption and inefficiency will no longer be tolerated. Hungarians have to stand up and be counted. They have been used and abused by political leaders and a corrupt bureaucracy for so long, they think it's the norm.
The country is on the verge of bankruptcy irrespective of what lying politicians and dodgy statistical information suggest.
Slogans, promises,and electioneering for its own sake are the devices by which bogus bullshitters
attempt to get your vote.
Gyurscany Ferenc is the real deal, commie shitbag, that should be removed from politics altogether and hung from the nearest lampost.
This should send a message to Fidesz that corruption and inefficiency will no longer be tolerated
...
Slogans, promises,and electioneering for its own sake are the devices by which bogus bullshitters
attempt to get your vote.
Hustings at March 6, 2010 12:29 PM
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All talk and no action from you 'Hungarian Arrows', especially now when Budahazy is enjoying free food on us, the taxpayer's expense
But who knows, maybe Budahazy will be elected to Parliament from his District XI bid
Then Hungary will have its first real politician, right?
Who does not believe in Democracy
That was at least one of the 2 excuses Jobbik used not to support Budahazy's bid to Parliament
So what about Péter Medgyessy ?
Viking. You are tarred with the same brush as the other hard-of-thinking idiots hereabout.
You cannot provide any original thought, or ideas,
and simply depend on calling everyone that does not agree with you an Arrow, or a Jobbik supporter, or Magyar Garda member etc.
I am none of these and, more to the point, what I wrote has nothing to do with any of these organizations.
PS. Instead of waffling endlessly on this forum you would be better deployed trying to drum up some business for that ailing restaurant of yours.
And, while you're at it - mine's a large whiskey and soda. Hurry along now,sir...!!
You cannot provide any original thought, or ideas
Hustings at March 6, 2010 6:52 PM
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Yes, to hang up Gyurscany from "the nearest lampost" is of course a very novel idea that we never heard around here before
not
It will not though pay off the loans to the EU/IMF
Revenge is the sweetest of rewards.
This should send a message to Fidesz that corruption and inefficiency will no longer be tolerated.
Hustings at March 6, 2010 12:29 PM
Did you think about this or did you think that it sounded good? The reason I ask is that Fidesz and Fidesz insiders are getting nervous about Jobbik wanting to call to account all those guilty of corruption for the past 20 years. Fidesz, talks less and less about holding those responsible to account and only for the past 8 years, naturally.
Methinks, the reason for some of the attacks against Jobbik and Vona in Magyar Hirlap. Széles Gábor, the owner of Magyar Hirlap is one of those who became incredibly wealthy, not through doing anything useful but through buying up public properties using questionable methods. Jobbik says that they would check all the corruption, not just Communist MSZP/SZDSZ corruption but all corruption.
All the thieves are banding together and some are even talking about a Fidesz/MSZP coalition against Jobbik. Senkiházy already said that in districts where they are running third, behind Jobbik, they would step back in favor of Fidesz. Any questions?
400 Million... That's no problem.
Once in Power they can Steal this amount in a few weeks, so it's money very well spent.
Where else in the World could you get that kind of retturn on your investment......
Senkiházy already said that in districts where they are running third, behind Jobbik, they would step back in favor of Fidesz. Any questions?
BIG JIM ON CORRUPTION at March 7, 2010 1:15 PM
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Yes, looking at this link he said the total opposite:
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http://www.politics.hu/20100302/socialists-not-to-support-fidesz-against-jobbik-in-2nd-round
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As I asked in that thread, do you have a link to your interpretation?
The only link needed is to the Truth...
However for the last 100 years in Hungary this is link that doesn't actually exist YET...
Hungarians Have and always will find the TRUTH Deeply Offensive.