Post-election Euphoria
Post-election Euphoria
From June 1998, public support for Fidesz, the winner of the elections, had been rising to unprecedented high levels. For six months, over half of the voters having their own preferences not only acknowledged the winner, but came down on the right side of the fence. Interestingly enough, the political hinterland of the Socialists did not collapse, but grew steadily at 25–30%, i.e., the decisive majority of their voters remained loyal to them. As early as at this point, it was noticeable that 80% – the overwhelming majority – of the voters willing to cast their ballots in favor of a given political party kept only Fidesz and MSZP in view, and this attitude has since become a prevailing characteristic of public opinion surrounding the present party system in Hungary. As for the other parties in Parliament, even earlier support for them seemed to start to slowly fade. At the beginning of a new government term it is undoubtedly very difficult to separate public perception within a wider arena of the relevant political parties and of the most significant opposition group in Parliament. That was also the case in late 1998. The wide-ranging optimism that surrounded the coalition government led by FIDESZ radiated in a natural way to the leading coalition party as well, just like the insecurity in opposition of the Socialists could be precisely read out from the decreased support their party received. So the figures of the six months following the general elections can be interpreted as if some kind of consolidation had been taking place on either side of the political spectrum. The hitherto heterogeneous, weak, and loosely tied right, closing its ranks behind Fidesz, became unified, and the losing left, standing by the Socialists, appeared to be a very disciplined political force of a similar magnitude.
