Politics Can Be Different
| Politics Can Be Different Lehet Más a Politika |
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|---|---|
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| Leader | András Schiffer Bernadett Szél |
| Founded | 26 February 2009 |
| Headquarters | 1136 Budapest, Hegedüs Gyula u. 36. |
| Ideology | Green liberalism[1][2] Social progressivism |
| Political position | Center[3] Center-left[citation needed] |
| International affiliation | Global Greens (observer) |
| European affiliation | European Green Party (member since Nov. 2011) |
| Colours | Green |
| National Assembly |
7 / 386
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| European Parliament |
0 / 22
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| Website | |
| http://lehetmas.hu/ | |
Politics Can Be Different (Hungarian: Lehet Más a Politika, LMP) is a Hungarian green liberal[1][2] political party. Founded in 2009, it was one of four parties to win seats in the National Assembly in the 2010 parliamentary election.
Contents |
History [edit]
The party was preceded by a non-governmental organization social initiative founded in 2008, with the purpose of reforming Hungarian politics.[4] LMP shares common ideologies with most green parties. Key issues are environmental protection, sustainable development and the fight against corruption in the current political elite. LMP highlights what they see as the pointlessness of the current partisan division between the left and right-wing forces, and their principle is deliberative democracy, which they believe decreases the distance between the people and the political elite.
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The public face of the organization is András Schiffer, former member of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) and Védegylet, Benedek Jávor, university professor in environmental law and a founder of Védegylet, and Tímea Szabó, humanitarian worker, heading the list presented for the European Parliamentary Elections. LMP received the official endorsement of the European Green Party.[5]
The party garnered 75,522 votes, (or 2.61% of the total votes) at the first elections it participated in, the 2009 European Parliament elections, which was less than the 5% needed to gain a seat for the 2009–2014 cycle, though beating the 2.16% received by one of the parties already in the national parliament.[6] In the 2010 parliamentary elections, the party achieved 7.48% in the first electoral round, thereby clearing the 5 percent electoral threshold, gaining 16 seats in the parliament, though it did not obtain any direct-representational seats.[7] In the local elections of 2010 October 3, LMP gained 54 seats in local city councils, with at least one representative in most of the district councils of the capital, 3 seats in the central council of Budapest, as well as in a few other cities around the country.
During the party's congress in November 2012, the Politics Can Be Different decided not to join Together 2014, the electoral alliance of opposition parties and movements led by Gordon Bajnai. As a result Benedek Jávor, a follower of the agreement, resigned from his position of parliamentary group leader.[8] The platform ‘Dialogue for Hungary’ was formed within the party on 26 November 2012, with Jávor as one of its founders. The platform gathers those who would back the Together 2014 electoral movement with the aim of “changing the Orbán regime.”[9] Later that day Schiffer, who did not support the cooperation with Bajnai, was elected leader of the LMP parliamentary group for second time.[10]
In January 2013, the LMP's congress rejected against the electoral cooperation with other opposition forces, including Together 2014.[11] As a result members of LMP’s “Dialogue for Hungary” platform announced their decision to leave the opposition party and form a new organization. Benedek Jávor said the eight MPs leaving LMP would keep their parliamentary mandates. They will coordinate with the remaining seven LMP lawmakers in order to keep the parliamentary group operational on some level. Schiffer said the move would not lead to a party split. Less than 10 percent of the party’s membership has indicated a desire to leave the party, he said.[12] The leaving MPs established Dialogue for Hungary as a full-fledged party.[13] The eight MPs also left the parliamentary group which then broken up according to the rules of the National Assembly.[14]
The 4K! - Fourth Republic! party offered electoral alliance to the LMP. Party leader András Istvánffy said the chaotic situation in the ranks of the opposition is really “a cleansing process”, which will separate those who seek to restore pre-2010 conditions and those who want “real regime change”.[15]
Schiffer and Bernadett Szél were elected co-presidents of the LMP during the party's congress on 24 March 2013.[16]
Election results [edit]
For the Hungarian Parliament:
| Elections | Number of votes (1st round) | Percentage of votes (1st round) | Number of votes (2nd round) | Percetage of votes (2nd round) | Number of seats | Percentage of seats | Role played in Parliament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 383,876 | 7.48% | 43,437 | 3.77% | 16 | 4.15% | opposition |
For the European Parliament:
| Elections | Number of votes | Percentage of votes | Placing (nationally) | Number of seats | Group in the European Parliament | Subgroup in the European Parliament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009* | 75,522 | 2.61% | 5th | 0 | — | — |
*In an electoral alliance with the Humanist Party (HP).
See also [edit]
Footnotes [edit]
- ^ a b McLaughlin, Daniel (27 April 2010). "Landslide victory for centre-right in Hungary". The Irish Times.
- ^ a b "Hungary's Fidesz maintains lead, far right gains". Reuters. 8 April 2010.
- ^ Guardiancich, Igor (2013), Pension Reforms in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe: From post-socialist transition to the global financial crisis, Routledge, p. 94
- ^ The BpSun Staff (2008-10-28). "LMP to garner protest votes". The Budapest Sun. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ^ Press Release: European Greens Support European Election Campaigns of LMP in Hungary and Zelenite in Bulgaria (EGP News)
- ^ "The detailed results of the European Parliamentary elections". 7 June 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
- ^ http://index.hu/belfold/2010/valasztas/eredmenyek/egyeni/
- ^ "Beintett Bajnainak az LMP, lemondott Jávor Benedek". 18 November 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "LMP fails to elect new parliamentary group leader as split in party continues". 26 November 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
- ^ "Ismét Schiffer András az LMP-frakció vezetője". 26 November 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
- ^ "LMP rejects proposals for new strategy at party congress". 27 January 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
- ^ "LMP splits over cooperation with Together 2014; caucus may remain intact". 28 January 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
- ^ "LMP rebels to establish Dialogue for Hungary as a full-fledged party". 4 February 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
- ^ "Eight breakaway LMP lawmakers to sit as independents". 11 February 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
- ^ "Small party 4K! seeks alliance with LMP for "regime change"". 7 February 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
- ^ "Szél Bernadett és Schiffer András az LMP két társelnöke" (in Hungarian). Index. 2013-03-24. Retrieved 2013-03-24.
External links [edit]
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