The Socialists offer 50 percent of mandates on their party list to be distributed among leftist opposition parties LMP, Democratic Coalition, Dialogue, Együtt, Momentum and the Liberals, László Botka told a press conference. The number of mandates on the party list would be distributed in proportion to their support measured in polls between March and August 2017, he said.

The Socialists’ offer, if accepted, would allow the democratic opposition parties to enter parliament, Botka said. “If doing extremely well in the 2018 election, they might well be able to form their own parliamentary group,” he said. Botka said the Socialist Party would initiate consultations with the other six parties over the next days.

Fidesz said in response that the same people share the positions between each other on the left who have shared positions in the past and there is no change whatsoever. Communications director Balazs Hidveghi said Botka was the same type of Socialist candidate as others in the past and he is offering positions to the same people who have always received them before.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Mohai Balázs