Jobbik

The Movement for the Better Hungary (Jobbik Magyarországért Mozgalom, or Jobbik for short) is a right-wing party. Its predecessor was founded in 2002 as the Right-wing Youth Community (Jobboldali Ifjúsági Közösség – Jobbik), which consisted mainly of university students; it was organized as a party in 2003. Besides MIÉP, which lost most of its voters, the Movement for the Better Hungary is one of the best-known right-wing formations in Hungary.

Self-definition

It says in its deed of foundation that the Movement for the Better Hungary aims at "completing the change of regime and establishing a society more equitable than the present one”. It defines itself as a value-oriented, national Christian party, which uses radical methods to represent the whole of the nation. The organization proudly stands up for nationalism, but denies being chauvinistic. They regard equally as their adversaries MSZP, SZDSZ, which they call “extremely liberal”, and Fidesz, which they say is “a middle-class party with liberal roots”, though they cooperate with the latter in a few self-governments. Since Gábor Vona was elected president Jobbik has declared “peaceful coexistence” with all right-wing parties, therefore its reservations against Fidesz have also been moderated.

History and activities

On 24 October 2003 the Right-Wing Youth Community organized itself as a party, adopting the name Jobbik Magyarországért Mozgalom (Movement for the Better Hungary - the word "jobb" has two meanings, right as a direction and better, while as the word "jobbik" signifies the better one of two competing parties, or the one that stands on the right). Their chief objective was to provide radical right-wing voters with an alternative at a time when MIÉP was decomposing and being marginalized.

The new party tried to increase its popularity by performing actions that draw public attention. The first step was the erection of crosses all over the country, proclaimed for the Christmas of 2003, by means of which the party, according to its own announcement, wished to call public attention to the original Christian message of the feast. Apart from the debate about the political utilization of religious symbols and about purpresture, the attitude of the Catholic Church was also ambiguous; on the one hand the party was criticised for confusing the Easter and Christmas components of Christian symbolism, on the other hand Endre Gyulay, bishop of Szeged-Csanád diocese, also took part in consecrating the crosses. The action of erecting crosses has been repeated annually since then.

In the autumn of 2005 the party established a Cabinet for the Protection of Children, whose chairman, dr Attila Bégány, wearing a Zorro mask, used a spray gun to mark with the initials JZ for Jobbik-Zorro several places that he thought represented offences against public morals.

In 2006 they covered up the memorial tablet of Endre Ságvári. In December 2006 the party chose the red-silver stripes of Árpád as its own colours, and began an explanatory campaign to let people know the history of the symbol.

Preparing for the parliamentary elections in 2006, the party gave up its anti-MIÉP rhetoric and allied with this party to establish an election alliance called MIÉP-Jobbik Third Way Alliance of Parties. The aim was to integrate radical right-wing forces, but in the elections the alliance of parties could not reach the threshold for entering the Parliament. Therefore Jobbik qualified the alliance a blunder and broke it up.

The party took part in the demonstrations held in Kossuth Square in the autumn of 2006, a leading figure of which, Tamás Molnár, had occupied the post of Jobbik’s vice-president.

In 2007 the party published its programme named after Gábor Bethlen, which states that by the 1944 German invasion Hungary was diverted from the road of “legal continuity”, therefore it is necessary to create a constitution founded on the doctrine of Hungary’s Holy Crown, in order to resolve the “crisis of constitutionality” that has existed since that time. Among others the programme demands the nationalisation of “strategically significant sectors”, a revision of privatisation, “stopping the massive immigration of groups unfit for social assimilation”, having church weddings registered by the state, compulsory instruction of ethics and religion in elementary and secondary schools, proclaiming the Árpád-striped flag as an all-Hungarian symbol, setting up a special organisational unit within the police force to prevent gipsy crime, and establishing a National Guard organised on a voluntary basis of regional defence.

In 2008 Jobbik has established a library named after Dénes Csengey in Budapest, where the opening speeches were delivered by Sándor Lezsák, chairman of the Parliament, Prof. Dr. István Kiszely, anthropologist, general director of King Attila People’s Academy, and Vona Gábor, president of Jobbik.

Besides its declarations regarded as anti-gipsy by the party’s critics, some members brought back the use of the term gipsy crime which was in official use before the 1990s by the authorities. Gipsy crime in this sense is used to refer to criminal acts committed by members of the Romani community, which is usually seen to be caused by prevalence of poor economic status among that group.

The party gained 3 seats in the 2009 European Parliament elections.

The Hungarian Guard

The symbol of the Guard, the crest of King Emeric, decorated with lions and Árpád-stripes, which is also part of their uniform.

In June 2007 president Vona, supported by the party, founded and registered the organisation called Magyar Gárda, which says in its deed of foundation that it intends to become “part or core” of the national guard to be set up in accordance with the Bethlen Gábor programme, and it also wishes to participate actively “in strengthening national self-defence” and “maintaining public order” as well as supporting and organising social and charity missions, in disaster prevention and civil defence. The foundation of the Guard was accompanied by sharp political debate.

On 10 March 2008 three leading figures resigned from the party: Dávid Kovács, the founding president of the party, Ervin Nagy, committee chairman, and Márton Fári, former chairman of the party’s ethical committee. They indicated the Hungarian Guard as the cause of their resignation, stating that "Jobbik has been merged inseparably with the Guard, taking responsibility for something that it cannot really control in the long run".

Anti-Semitism

The movement has been accused of playing on antisemitic fears. Krisztina Morvai, one of the party's candidates in the 2009 elections to the European parliament, was quoted as saying "I would be glad if the so-called proud Hungarian Jews would go back to playing with their tiny little circumcised tail rather than vilifying me."

In a newsletter published by a group calling itself "The trade union of Hungarian police officers prepared for action," the following was printed. "Given our current situation, anti-Semitism is not just our right, but it is the duty of every Hungarian homeland lover, and we must prepare for armed battle against the Jews." The editor of the union, Judit Szima, is a Jobbik candidate in the upcoming election for the European Union parliament. Szima "didn't see anything wrong with the content of the article."

Election results

For Parliament

Results on the lists:

Elections	Number of votes (1st round)	Percentage of votes (1st round)	Number of votes (2nd round)	Percetage of votes (2nd round)	Number of seats	Percengate of seats	Role played in Parliament
2006*	119.007	2,20%	231	0,01%	0	0%	extra-parliamentary
2010

• In an election alliance with MIÉP, under the name of "MIÉP-Jobbik Third Way Alliance of Parties", joined by Smallholders’ organisations from 15 counties.

Note: See also The Hungarian system of elections

Municipal

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Mayor of Pácin: Attila Barati

International relations

In London on 16 May 2008 the delegation of Jobbik's Committee of Foreign Affairs met with Nick Griffin, chairman of the British National Party. They discussed cooperation between the two parties, and the elections for the European Parliament. Griffin spoke at the party rally in August 2008, while former vice-president Zoltan Füzessy is presently resident in Gravesend, Kent, England.

Resources

• An article in Hungarian about the origins of Jobbik from Magyar Narancs, December 4, 2003

External links

• Official web site - English
• Official web site (Hungarian)
• Changing of the Garda An article in The Economist about the Hungarian far right
• Deed of Foundation (Hungarian)
• "Third way" platform: The nationalist right gets together (HVG)