Gábor Vona interviewed on Duna TV

A rare opportunity to see Jobbik's president, Gábor Vona, interviewed on mainstream Hungarian television; on his return from giving a landmark speech in Rome.

Many find it hard to believe how a party like Jobbik, can continue to grow in support as it has done, while at the same time suffering virtual silence or misrepresentation in the mainstream Hungarian media. Given that virtually the whole Hungarian press is either owned, subsidised or run by supporters of either one, or the other, mainstream parties this campaign of exclusion is not difficult to understand.

Deliberate and flagrant misrepresentations, or out and out libels, in the Left-wing press, are matched by similar nonsense or more often than not – no reporting whatsoever, from the Right-wing press. The close association of the Hungarian Left-wing press with their international counterparts accounts for much of the concocted absurdities spoken about Jobbik internationally.

But the internet has allowed many to judge for themselves, and this interview with the Jobbik leader presents just another such opportunity. Given the growth of the Movement for a Better Hungary’s prestige nationally, and exposure internationally, maintaining a wall of silence has grown more and more difficult to sustain and justify.

The campaign against Jobbik by the Hungarian national media has been dwarfed by the intentional repression carried out against Jobbik and its supporters by the state; or that is to say the incumbent MSZP government. Poll after poll now successively show Jobbik to be the greatest danger which threatens the survival of a Socialist power that has ruled Hungary off-and-on since 1947. Needless to say, as is their reputation, they are endeavouring to use all the repressive tools of the state to prevent this from happening.

This is one subject of the discussion in the Duna TV studio. Another gives an insight to the real reason behind Jobbik’s continual growth and influence: being conscious of the wishes of the Hungarian people, and endeavouring to give them what they want. With Fidesz now back-peddling from their previous haughty statements about the necessity of holding to account those politicians and public servants who have committed corruption or repression in the past; Jobbik has finalized a plan to establish a Centre for the investigation of such activities (based on the Simon Wiesenthal model) regardless of what the result of the coming parliamentary elections might be.

When asked by the presenter as to what the prospect of Jobbik in parliament would hold, the Jobbik president replied:

“Jobbik has been operating for six years. It has been legally registered as a political party and has operated entirely legally. We have proved ourselves more than capable of playing by the rules and regulations of the democratic politics. 

Whereas those who have been trying to wipe us out, are proving the exact opposite every single day.”

Additional information (note the incitement to violence by the MSZP councillor):

Sajóbábony: Jobbik and Guard members attacked - JOBBIK .com