A Blackfriars Hall fellow, Professor Peter Róna, has accepted the nomination to run as the Hungarian united opposition’s presidential candidate.
Professor Róna was born in Hungary but fled to America following the Soviet crackdown in 1956. The former president of Schroders Bank, CEO of the First Hungary fund and later a board member of the Central Bank of Hungary, Róna has a wealth of experience in the public and private sectors. He has also worked extensively in academia as a lecturer of International Law at Eötvös Loránd University and was a member of the University of Pecs, both in Hungary. Currently, he is one of the research leaders of the Las Casas Institute and specializes in the philosophical foundations of the social sciences, especially economics.
His qualifications will likely have little bearing on his performance in the election on March 10. Under the Hungarian Constitution, the President performs a largely ceremonial role and is chosen by the National Assembly. This legislative body is currently dominated by Victor Orban’s right-wing Fidesz party, who occupy 133 of the parliament’s 199 seats. Elections for the next National Assembly won’t be held until April 3. Róna’s opponent, Katalin Novak, is a former vice-president of Fidesz and that party’s nominee. Although less popular and more divisive than outgoing president Janos Adler, another Fidesz member, the social conservative and ally of Orban is overwhelmingly favored to win in a legislature controlled by her own party.
Still, opposition parties acknowledge the symbolic importance of putting forward a viable presidential candidate, especially since Professor Róna will be able to deliver a 15-minute televised address as part of the electoral process. He highlights this appearance as a chance to voice opposition in a country where that is often difficult and hopes “that what [he has] to say could influence the outcome of the general election”.
At the same time, the opposition is also focused on reforming the Hungarian constitution so that such a position can be elected directly by Hungarian citizens. The leader of this united opposition and its candidate for Prime Minister, Péter Márki-Zay, firmly backs Róna and his values. But, Márki-Zay, would have also supported the opposition not nominating anyone in order to advance their goal of constitutional reform.
Professor Róna has criticized Orban’s handling of crises, especially his handling of environmental degradation, as well as his “flirt” with authoritarian regimes in Russia and China. Above all, he is worried by divisions and repression in the country and told Cherwell that he wants “to bring the Hungarian people closer together”. Calling the office of the president the embodiment of “the unity of the nation”, Márki-Zay is also trying to emphasize Professor Róna’s broad appeal and counter the divisive rhetoric of Fiedsz. The results of such unifying rhetoric are unlikely to be seen until the National Assembly elections, where polls indicate that the opposition is closer to toppling Orbán than in any previous election.
Image Credit: Ervin Lukacs
