UDMR President Kelemen Hunor said that he discussed early elections with coalition partners in a small circle and came up with this idea himself, but now it is no longer possible because the proposal was rejected.

The leader of the UDMR said that he demanded early elections because there will be a period of stagnation in 2024 because everything will be focused on the preparations for the elections.

Kelemen Hunor: “I proposed this solution”

Kelemen Hunor said on the air of the Political Insider program on Prima TV on Saturday that he discussed the early elections with the presidents of the parties that form the ruling coalition.

“It was a discussion in a narrow circle between the presidents of the coalition parties. Everyone then discussed in the party. Indeed, I proposed this solution. A solution is no longer possible because there is no agreement, no consensus, and there are several actors without whom it is impossible to achieve what is expected. First of all, the majority, and then the president of the republic,” said Kelemen Hunor.

When asked if President Klaus Iohannis wants early elections, the Hungarian leader explained that he understood from the liberals that the head of state does not want early elections.

“I haven’t spoken to the president, but I understand from the liberals that I haven’t,” said Kelemen Hunor.

“We had a few arguments”

When asked if the liberals want early elections, Kelemen Hunor clarified that some liberals do, others do not.

“Many of them said yes to me. We had this discussion, both formal and informal, and many said yes, but concluded no. Why did I say that it would be good to have early elections?

We had a few arguments. First, 2024 will be a year of stagnation. It won’t be a year of political instability, because you can’t say that if you have an election, that’s instability, and that’s stagnation, categorically.

If the elections are held in June, this means that right after the winter holidays, everyone starts preparing lists for the election campaign and ends somewhere on December 14-15 with the second round of the presidency.

This means that the entire year 2024 is a lost year, because the central administration and part of the local administration are waiting to see who will win the elections and what the direction will be,” Kelemen Hunor also stated.

“We will postpone the parliamentary elections a year earlier”

According to him, “the most important elections, the ones that show the direction, are at the end of the year.”

“And I said that the only way to relieve the pressure and cancel the pressure from 2024 is to move the parliamentary elections a year earlier, because it is possible. You can no longer put forward anything, only parliamentary elections.

I said that in September-October we can do it, we have a coalition, we have a majority, we have a government.

And then in 2024 in the European Parliament elections you can campaign with a European theme, in the local elections you have the opportunity to create local alliances if you want, especially since you know what a coalition is, and in the presidential elections everyone has a very big leeway and we would release 2024. That was my main argument,” said Kelemen Hunor.

“PSD would agree, that’s how I understood it”

When asked by Kelemen Hunor where the discussions are stuck, he replied that there is no consensus.

“What we will analyze and everyone comes and says what they want, and the liberals say they don’t. PSD would agree, I understand that. But it doesn’t even matter because I don’t want to be that person who, no matter what they’re talking about, brings up the topic of early elections.

This topic, from my point of view, is no longer on the public, political agenda, because we failed to build a consensus and it is impossible without all the subjects involved in this direction,” said the president of UDMR.

What the UDMR leader said about the election conspiracy

Kelemen Hunor also mentioned the unification of next year’s elections.

“It was a proposal from the Liberals and it is being considered. From my point of view, it is difficult to combine local and parliamentary elections. First of all, you have to see the political possibilities.

Then you have to check whether it is constitutionally, legally possible. From my point of view, this is possible only if a state of emergency, a state of emergency, is introduced. In 2020, we extended the powers of local elected officials several times, but we were on alert, we had a pandemic.

Now we cannot invent a state of readiness just to delay the powers of local elected officials. But it can be analyzed.

I think it’s very difficult to go for that option without really having the context of martial law or a state of emergency, so that then if someone attacks the decision or the law, depending on which way you choose, to the Constitutional Court. , or a judicial process in an administrative procedure, it will definitely not last,” concluded Kelemen Hunor.