Hungarian Liberal Party

Hungarian Liberal Party (, shortened form Liberals (Liberálisok) or MLP) is a liberal political party in Hungary that was formed on 27 April 2013 and is led by Anett Bősz. History Foundation Gábor Fodor announced in January 2013 that he intended to establish a new liberal party in Hungary. He presented his party in April 2013, promising "more liberal, person-centered and patriotic politics". Fodor is a former Minister of Education and a former member of Fidesz and of the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ). He criticized the state's tutelary policy and emphasized, Hungary was then in forefront of the region, when liberalism and the SZDSZ were strong. Fodor also introduced the party's programme with the title of "Sympathetic liberalism", breaking away from the "intellectual arrogance" of his previous party. In September 2013, the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) declined to sign an election deal with the Democratic Coalition (DK) and the Hungarian Liberal Party because both parties presented excessive expectations compared to their social support. According to Fodor, the Liberals were ready to enter into a far-reaching compromise with left-leaning opposition parties in order to defeat Viktor Orbán. But after the Socialists and Together 2014 – the grouping led by former PM Gordon Bajnai – opted to stand apart, the Liberals had no other choice but to set off for the 2014 national election on their own. Fodor attended as a public speaker at the opposition demonstration on the 1956 Revolution National Day, where he urged the establishment of a common democratic opposition list for the 2014 parliamentary election, criticizing agreement between the MSZP and Together 2014 and the exclusion of other opposition parties from the cooperation.