Who let the dogs out? Now Fidesz is resorting to violence against Tisza

Fidesz is in total panic mode. And when you’re panicking, you don’t think straight. And when you’re not thinking straight AND you’re desperate, you lash out.

Sadly, that is what a small number of Fidesz supporters are doing in their desperation, disbelief and emotional panic that Fidesz seems to be losing its grip on power. They are at their wits end. Nothing that Dear Leader does seems to be working against Peter Magyar. In fact, the more they try the higher Tisza zooms in the polls. They are not used to this losing feeling. It has destabilised them.

That’s the emotional state that has led to several instances of Fidesz supporters kicking Tisza stands as they tried to gather votes for The Nation’s Voice survey, verbally abusing Tisza volunteers, snatching things from the helpers, yelling at Peter as he tried to make a speech, and just generally acting crazy. One guy even told Tisza volunteers to “hang themselves.” Another slowly drove his car into a Tisza booth. Some were even arrested.

The fact of the matter is that in the figurative sense of the term, you can punch up but you can’t punch down. It’s a bit rich that the supporters of the party with a two-thirds majority in parliament… the party that has all the money and power in Hungary to be acting like they are the underdog that needs to squash the all-powerful dominator.

I don’t really blame these individual Fidesz supporters. They have been tacitly encouraged by people like Tamas Menczer and Viktor Orban himself.

Last year, Tamas Menczer got aggressively in Peter’s face in front of a media pack yelling obnoxiously “It’s over, little guy!” This was widely condemned as being unbecoming of a government official against an opposition leader. And of being a style that Hungarians don’t welcome in politics.

And this year, Orban jumped the shark calling opposition supporters “bugs” that survived winter and need to be squashed during spring cleaning. 

That’s not all. For many years now Orban has created a fake “us versus them” dynamic in a country — essentially if you’re not a Fidesz supporter you’re a traitor. 

It’s truly shameful. 

But when supporters see this kind of messaging and behaviour from the leadership, it’s natural they feel emboldened to take matters into their own hands.

After the acts of violence, Peter called on the Prime Minister and President to calm their supporters — after all Fidesz says it is the party of peace — but the didn’t.

Thankfully, so far no one has been hurt but there is a year to go until the election. And one can’t help but feel that things will get worse not better.

What effect is it having? 

It can’t be said that these outbursts are helping Fidesz. And Tisza supporters seem undeterred. It might turn some voters off politics altogether — which might keep some away from the voting booth.

Peter continues to do rallies and walk amongst the general public and take any verbal hits on the chin while Orban still never goes anywhere where the audience isn’t highly curated and he might face the public’s wrath.

In this way, Orban is able to stay above the fray and look statesman-like while Peter is made to look scrappy in comparison.

But, on the other hand, people like and respect bravery. Although Peter might lose points for not looking statesman-like during these encounters, he might also win points because voters like a street fighter who is fighting for them.

Given polls are trending upward for Tisza, Fidesz might be realising that these outbursts are not helping and that it needs to tame its beasts.