Political TV Debates Held in Hungary For the First time in 18 Years

The first TV debate in 18 years was held in Hungary on the eve of the European Parliament elections. This was reported by AP.  

The debate was held between the leaders of 11 party lists. This is the first debate broadcast by the country's public broadcaster MTVA since 2006, when Prime Minister Viktor Orban last met face-to-face with his opponent to win voter support.    

Hungary's public broadcaster announced that the debate topics would be limited to EU defence and security, migration, agriculture, and democracy and the rule of law. Some participants in the debate disagreed with the restriction of topics for discussion.

For example, opposition politician Peter Magyar said he would hold a mass demonstration outside the broadcaster's office if his demand for a live debate was ignored. During the debate, a protest against the public broadcaster was held near the venue in Budapest. Péter Magyar told several thousand of his supporters that the public broadcaster had been ‘lying morning, noon and night for 14 years’.

The latest polls in Hungary show that Magyar's new party, Respect and Freedom, could win around 25% of the vote in the EU elections, while Orban's pro-Russian Fidesz party still seems likely to win the most votes.