The Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) has not only provoked
intense reactions by nominating former Socialist government finance minister
Lajos Bokros. The second candidate on the list has also caused a stir. If the
MDF gets enough votes, Hungary could soon find itself represented in the EU
Parliament by Georg Habsburg, grandson of the last Austrian emperor Karl I. and
son of Otto von Habsburg who served as a member of the European Parliament for
many years. Georg Habsburg spoke to The Budapest Times about his reasons for
standing.
How did you come to be on the MDF list?
The proposal made by the chairwoman Ibolya David came out of
the blue for me. At a meeting arranged at short notice she offered me a place
as an independent on the MDF list.
Why did you say yes?
Hungary is in a severe crisis. In such a situation you have
to think about how you can help most. So far I have been able to do something
with my work for the Red Cross. My main interest, which I have inherited,
naturally is the European Parliament. If you then get the opportunity to stand
as a candidate for this parliament, then you think about it carefully. I think
at the moment Hungary needs all the help it can get in the European Parliament.
What involvement have you had with the European Parliament
in the past?
My contact with the European Parliament began in 1979, the
time of the first direct election. As a 15-year old I assisted my father's
election campaign. In the following years through my father I gained valuable
insight into the work of the parliament. Incidentally, in addition to my
father, my brother Karl was also an MEP for a while. From 1996 I supported
Hungary's EU integration as a Hungarian ambassador and represented the
country's interests towards the Union. In 2005 I began working for an office in
Brussels that represents the member organisations of the Red Cross at the EU.
So contact with the EU is anything but new for me. I am aware of the
unbelievable possibilities that the European Parliament holds if you have the
possibility to work together beyond faction and country borders. My father was
excellent in that. I have learned a lot from him in that respect. I think
Hungary still has a lot of potential here. That's why I was happy to accept the
offer to stand. The fact that the MDF is a member of the European People's
Party also played a role in my decision. I would be able to work in the same
faction that my father belonged to earlier. That would offer the advantage that
I already know a lot of people in this faction. ,
As number two on the list, what do you think your chances
are of getting to Brussels at all?
We are at the start of a tough election battle. So far I
think it is definitely possible that I will manage it. However, regardless of
what the end result is, if someone asks me in a year's time when I did for
Hungary during the crisis, I will be able to say that I did my best.
If you don't succeed in getting to Brussels, could you
imagine being politically active for a party in Hungary?
I'm not interested in going out on a limb in the arena of
domestic politics in the future, not even in the campaign for the general
elections which will follow on the heels of the EP elections. My field is
European politics. At the moment I can't imagine what would lead me into Hungarian
domestic politics, but in politics you should never say never. If you had told
me half a year ago that I would stand for the MDF on the EU list, I wouldn't
have believed it.
Why don't you want to help your country which is in trouble
on a national level too?
Because I simply cannot see where I could really make a
difference.
You could, for example, have a calming effect on the
poisoned atmosphere!
What we need to try here is to make people aware of a larger
dimension like that of Europe, but I can do that better from Brussels. The
European dimension is reality for Hungary, but it is very often sidelined.
People still only see problems specific to Hungary. They don't see what
enormous potential the EU holds for them. That's why I will speak about Europe
during this election campaign, even if I am relatively alone in doing so. I
hope my example will catch on.
How well do you think Hungary has been represented in
Brussels until now?
The work of the Hungarian MEPs should have received greater
attention in Hungary. The problem is that they entered the EP through
inflexible party lists. Most Hungarians don't even know who is representing
them in Brussels. I find it a shame that the MEPs haven't succeeded in making
themselves visible in Hungary. That in turn carries the risk of losing contact
with their voters.
How successful is Hungary on a European level compared to
other new members in enforcing its national interests?
I think the impression that other new member states
represent their interests more forcefully towards the EU is mistaken. Possibly
this impression simply comes from the fact that other countries have produced
more prominent politicians and topics regarding EU questions. Fortunately
Hungary doesn't have an EU opponent like the Czech president Vaclav Klaus who
is always in the headlines.
There is nothing wrong, however, with exposing democratic
deficits in Brussels. Why shouldn't these also be addressed by Hungarian
politicians?
I would be very happy if there could be public debate in
Hungary about what actually comes out of Brussels. The problem in Hungary is
that citizens for some time now have been so caught up in domestic politics
that unfortunately the EU receives insufficient attention. I don't think that
Hungary has a fundamentally different relationship to the EU than, for example,
the Czech Republic. In Hungary, however, visibility and awareness of EU topics
is lower. The Hungarian media have contributed to that.
Nothing against your nomination - after all you are not a
party politician - but hasn't the impression that the parties frequently send
politicians to Brussels to get them out of the way at home contributed to
citizens' lack of interest in EU politics.
That's definitely true. That impression has now been
confirmed again. The fact that the parties are largely motivated by their party
interests when putting together their lists is definitely also related to the
fact that they have not yet recognised the importance of the EU. The MDF was
the first party to have the courage to nominate a proven and recognised expert
for Brussels in the person of Lajos Bokros. The party chairwoman Ibolya David
did not shy way from the debate within the party that this provoked. She insisted
on placing two people at the top of her list who are not party members, but who
are competent in European affairs.
The nomination of Bokros is highly controversial and has
created a crisis within the MDF.
Bokros is the only crisis manager in this country who has
proved successful in practice. That is undisputed across the party divides. He
has also proved himself abroad. In Slovakia, for example, he made a name for
himself as one of the masterminds behind the economic reform there, which
looking back was very successful, and incidentally was implemented by a
conservative government. Bokros in addition is a person of absolute integrity.
You cannot link him to any scandal or misconduct. Finally Bokros is a person
who tells everyone openly what reforms the country needs. He is not influenced
by political considerations and he is dependable. And after all that is what we
need most urgently today: dependability. The last word has not yet been spoken
so far as the Bokros nomination and the resulting discussions are concerned.
Isn't it a shame that the proven crisis manager Bokros could
possibly disappear into the sea of EU parliamentarians?
Why? He knows the Hungarian economy like barely any other.
He speaks a lot of languages. He knows an incredible number of people. He knows
the region. He would be ideal as a representative of Hungary's and the region's
interests.
And as prime minister?
That was also a courageous proposal from Ibolya David! Let's
take a look at the different options. Of course the best thing would be early
elections, but that likely will not happen. In this situation Ibolya David
decided on a pragmatic alternative. She calmly came to the conclusion that
there is a severe crisis so we need a good crisis manager and brought Bokros
into play to succeed the current prime minister. She was aware of the
improbability of her initiative succeeding, but at least she can now look in
the mirror with a clear conscience and say that she tried.
Do you think Gyurcsany still has a chance? (The interview
took place before the PM's announcement to step down last weekend - editor)
No. He has caused Hungary too much damage. Probably we will
only be able to estimate the scale of the damage at a later stage. He is to
blame for the lack of real reforms in this country. I am less critical of
people who have tackled reforms and made mistakes than of people who have not
tackled reforms in the first place. It is terrible when a country comes to a
standstill. I don't think I need to say anything about Gyurcsany's battered
credibility.
Where de you see the greatest need for reform in Hungary?
Essentially in three areas. Firstly I would advocate
tackling corruption head on. That is the only way to recover from the general
crisis of credibility and the value system. The second point would be the
equally drastic reform of institutions. They have to become cheaper and better.
Finally with the tax money saved through both these measures the way can be
paved for a radical tax reform.
New elections at the current time would give Fidesz a
landslide election victory. Would that be desirable?
We need to realise that Hungary needs a strong government to
tackle its reform bottleneck. I am convinced that Fidesz chairman Orban, if he
shows that he is determined to carry out reforms, will find a lot of
supporters, including from other parties. A two-party system, however, would
definitely be bad for the country. That is counterproductive for the quality of
the work of governing. But whatever happens, the bottom line is that Hungary is
and remains a democracy. People will continue to be able to vote every four
years on who represents them in parliament. That is why it is very risky to
campaign with promises that cannot be kept.
The final question: unlike your father you rarely seem to
use "von" before your surname. Why not?
Personally I don't use the "von" at all, and it
does not feature on my two passports, an Austrian and a Hungarian one. As a
Habsburg I don't need a "von". If the name Habsburg doesn't mean
anything to somebody, then the "von" won't either. However, I'm
repeatedly addressed by other people as "von Habsburg" and announced
like that at events. Of course I don't correct people or cross out the
"von". After all it is the historic name.
