Hungarian Elections 2006
Hunt for the Elderly Lady of FIDESZ
There has been a pointless hunt lately for the elderly lady who can be seen on some of the “We live worse” posters of FIDESZ all over Budapest. The lady complains about the more expensive medicines, but Népszabadság, a newspaper close to the MSZP, decided to prove that the lady does not live worse than four years ago. Anyone with common sense could question if such a finding proves anything, but Népszabadság did not hesitate, they began the search immediately.In recent days they found a pensioner in Budapest who looks similar to the lady on the poster. The elderly lady in question had two apartments, and she lived of the rental of one. Unfortunately, Népszabadság was wrong: they picked the wrong lady. Mrs. Börzsönyi, the false pensioner felt deeply offended and threatened to sue the newspaper. Népszabadság apologized, but emphasized that the lady should have picked up the phone to avoid suspicion.
In the meantime, Index.hu, the biggest on-line news portal in Hungary, found out that the pensioner on the poster is a Mrs. Fata, a Budapest pensioner and member of the FIDESZ, who really suffers from the more expensive medicines. According to the reports of the election section of Index.hu, one of the FIDESZ politicians, accompanied by the pensioner who “lives worse,” met the editor in chief of the newspaper today. But instead of emphasizing the suffering and illness of the elderly lady, they attacked the editor with much eagerness, for assaulting an unsuspecting old lady (ie. Mrs. Börzsönyi).
This story should have a moral among the lines somewhere. It may be that the election posters are not to be trusted. According to the report, the poor heartsick lady turned out to be a fierce activist of FIDESZ who might only take pills when she gets overly excited about the values of her party. On the other hand, it is really questionable whether finding someone who is on an election poster has any point. In any case, the story gives a nice example of what election campaigns are like in Hungary.
Hungarian elections 2006 - Attacks on Politicians
Hungarian elections 2006 - Hunt for the Elderly Lady of FIDESZ
Hungarian elections 2006 - Pisti Kovács is face of campaign and biggest success of SZDSZ
Hungarian elections 2006 - Do Hungarians live worse than four years ago?
Hungarian elections 2006 - Where are the nationalists?
Hungarian elections 2006 - The chances of smaller parties
Hungarian elections 2006 - Is Centrum Party a force to be reckoned with?
Hungarian elections 2006 - The second wave of posters
Hungarian elections 2006 - The last week of the campaign
Was life in Hungary was better during the Communism?
