Hodmezovasarhely elects non-Fidesz candidate for Mayor

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

The election of Peter Marki-Zay in a city that had been a Fidesz stronhold is getting some attention.  He was supported by both the parties to the left of Fidesz, as well as by Jobbik, against the Fidesz candidate, and won 57% of the vote.   

I'd be interested to hear any thoughts from anyone familiar with this, such as who Marki-Zay is, and what this election represents.

[DavidB.]

Some points/explanations:
- Some political scientists consider it the biggest defeat of Fidesz since the lost election in 2006.
- Some suggest Fidesz internal polling has been wrong and they did not see this coming.
- Apparently Marki-Zay was a good, attractive candidate, and his opponent was invisible.
- Low turnout favors Fidesz, but this time turnout was very high. The Fidesz candidate got the same amount of votes as in 2014. It's the opposition candidate who managed to mobilize those who oppose Fidesz.
- Dissatisfaction with the national Fidesz government; easily expressed in a second-order election. The question remains whether people will also vote this way in a first-order, parliamentary election. People will vote for parties then, mostly not for independents. They may be willing to get themselves to the polls for an independent in a local election, but will they actually want to express a vote for MSZP, DK, LMP or Jobbik?
- Myth of "inevitability" and "invincibility" of Fidesz shattered. Opposition feels empowered.

[windjammer]

Can someone explain me why Hungary has such a High govt deficit?

[Vosem]

I enjoy the post-colonial pattern, reminiscent of '70s-era India or current local elections in South Africa, where at first one force utterly dominates the political scene and eventually those who are opposed to it get so sick of it that utterly perverse and unstable alliances start being formed and winning with the singular goal of just getting that one dominant force out.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Some points/explanations:
- Some political scientists consider it the biggest defeat of Fidesz since the lost election in 2006.
- Some suggest Fidesz internal polling has been wrong and they did not see this coming.
- Apparently Marki-Zay was a good, attractive candidate, and his opponent was invisible.
- Low turnout favors Fidesz, but this time turnout was very high. The Fidesz candidate got the same amount of votes as in 2014. It's the opposition candidate who managed to mobilize those who oppose Fidesz.
- Dissatisfaction with the national Fidesz government; easily expressed in a second-order election. The question remains whether people will also vote this way in a first-order, parliamentary election. People will vote for parties then, mostly not for independents. They may be willing to get themselves to the polls for an independent in a local election, but will they actually want to express a vote for MSZP, DK, LMP or Jobbik?
- Myth of "inevitability" and "invincibility" of Fidesz shattered. Opposition feels empowered.

Thanks, that's good info.   Do you know if there was there a particular issue that Marki-Zay ran on?

[Tender Branson]

Small mayoral elections have virtually nothing to do with federal elections.

Fidesz will win by a huge margin.