Pál Schmitt: "Our manifesto is proof that there is an alternative"

"We have come to the end of a long and fruitful series of conferences and debates", said MEP Pál Schmitt in his welcoming speech. "We celebrated the fifth anniversary of Hungary's EU-membership on 1 May. The past five years have been a period of disillusionment and failure for Hungary and its people. While all our neighbors and countries that joined the EU together with us benefited from the membership, time seemed to have stopped here in Hungary", declared the head of Fidesz list for the elections. The manifesto of Fidesz, continued Schmitt, is a proof that there is an alternative and that there exists a political family in Hungary that is ready to face the difficulties and manage them efficiently. "We as representatives of Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Union and the Christian Democratic People's Party undertake to promote Hungary's national interests in Strasbourg and Brussels without any compromise, the same way we did in the past five years. We will prove that Hungary can indeed do better!"

Wilfriend Martens: "The European elections can bring about political changes"

President of the European People's Party - European Democrats Wilfried Martens said seven years of socialist government caused the Hungarian economy and society to fall at least four years behind. The country, he continued, lost the role it played in the European integration. The outcome of the European elections can bring about political changes in Hungary, added Mr Martens. "Hungary is getting ever more near to a decisive moment: the European elections can open the perspectives of a long-awaited political change."

János Martonyi: "Fundamental changes are required"

The former Foreign Minister of the Orbán-government, Mr János Martonyi talked about the financial and economic crisis and said he was convinced Europe would overcome these difficulties. He then added that Hungary's situation was a lot more serious: "It is no question that this country's leaders have caused an unbelievably deep political, financial, economic, social and moral crisis during their seven years in power. They brought about a crisis of our democracy. We therefore need a fundamental change."

Viktor Orbán: "We will leave no-one behind"

The chairman of Fidesz started his speech by saying the party's goal was to prove Hungary could do better. He emphasized Fidesz will leave no-one behind because "whenever we talk of the nation this has social implications to it".

Hungary's former prime minister said Fidesz would free the creative energies of the people by providing a life with more freedom than the socialists do. "Ever since the democratic transition we believed that freedom was a fundamental value. We therefore need a new direction, one which points at liberty."

Orbán also talked of the problem of rising unemployment, a threat to both Europe and Hungary. "All countries in Europe realized the importance of measures aimed at reducing unemployment. It is bad news Hungary isn't one of them. What we see in Hungary is a deliberate deepening of the crisis", he said, adding that the most important question of the European elections was whether the country could be protected from the austerity measures of the Bajnai-government.

You can download here the summary of the manifesto of Fidesz.