Fidesz to undergo reforms

Dátum: 2003-01-22 10:53:00, eredeti URL: http://archiv.fidesz.hu/index.php?Cikk=7101
KCMDB-be feltöltve: 2024-05-04 18:01:13.018618, Feltöltő: fidesz_hu_scraper_v2

The Presidium of Fidesz held a two-day meeting on 14-15 January 2003 in Budapest, with preparations for the spring congress, aiming the party's renewal, on its agenda.

A three-member preliminary committee will be established with the participation of former prime minister Viktor Orbán, executive vice-chairman János Áder, and chairman of the party national board László Kövér, assigned with the task of organising an intra-party debate on the transition of Fidesz and, respectively, formulating the motions of amendment to the Party Statutes. The amendments, aiming at the structural reform of the party, will thereafter be introduced for approval to the Congress of Fidesz, due on 10 May 2003. The Presidium has invited Viktor Orbán to leading the newly transformed party. The former prime minister will decide on the request by the end of January.

At the press conference following the session on 15 January, Viktor Orbán emphasised that the gates of Fidesz had to be opened wider than ever in spiritual, personal, as well as structural terms. The goal is to transform Fidesz into a party similar to the German Christian Democratic Union: a party with significant membership, nationwide networking, which includes a range of branches and civil organisations, the civic circles among them. Following Hungary's European Union accession, only parties with strong base and large networks may represent the Hungarian interests successfully in the European Parliament, Fidesz doing so as a member of the European People's Party.

In order to achieve that, Fidesz must be made more open, and structural changes are necessary from the top leadership to the local branches. As a first step, besides the re-election of officials and the transformation of the Presidium, the party's statutes must be amended at the congress due on 10 May. Thereafter, structural changes and the large-scale extension of membership are expected to be finished by the end of the year, when the accomplished work may be evaluated at yet another congress. Negotiations should be started with the christian democrats, the different smallholders groups, and with MDF. Changing the party's name may only become necessary in the future when the party becomes a part of a larger integration.

During the press briefing, Viktor Orbán said that he would take the position of party chairman if the party membership accepts the amendments, which would at the same time be a mandate to create a Hungarian christian democratic union. The current transformation of Fidesz is leading towards the later establishment of a political unit able to embrace the full spectrum of the center-right, including the national, christian democratic and civic electorates.

Budapest, 18 January 2003