One month after the 2022 parliamentary elections, the mayor of Vác Ilona Matkovich ordered a public opinion survey at the expense of the local government from Gordon Bajnai, according to a contract detail obtained by Magyar Nemzet. Balázs Vető, entrusted with the task, wrote a number of joint studies with Viktor Szigetvári, the consultant of the Medgyessy-Gyurcsány-Bajnai governments, the newspaper reports.

The Magyar Nemzet obtained a part of the contract, which was signed between the municipality of Vác and mayor Ilona Matkovich on the one hand, and the GlobDemo Magyarország Foundation and curator Balázs Vető on the other. "The Client orders a questionnaire survey to be carried out in the city of Vác", reads the excerpt from the document, which was for a period of one month between May 1 and 31, 2022, but can be extended at the will of the parties.

IT IS NOT CLEAR FROM THE DETAILS OF THE DOCUMENT WHAT EXACTLY THE RESEARCH IS IN QUESTION, BUT THE PERSONALITY OF BÁLÁZS VETő MAY BE TELLING: ACCORDING TO BALLIBERÁLIS MAGYAR HANG, VETő - ALONG WITH PÉTER ZARÁND AND ESZTER GALGÓCZI - WAS AMONG THE DIRECTORS OF THE 2022 ELECTION CAMPAIGN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE.

Balázs Vető is an old friend of Gordon Bajnai, who worked for years with MSZP campaign consultant Viktor Szigetvári. Before 2006, Szigetvári also held the position of deputy state secretary in the Medgyessy and Gyurcsány governments, then worked as a consultant, and after 2010 he tried to assert himself at the head of the political formation called Együtt, with little success. He is an important backer of Ferenc Gyurcsány Szigetvári and Gordon Bajnai, who as owner has a major role in the operation of the DatAdat group of companies. DatAdat was one of the organizers of the united left's campaign in the 2022 parliamentary elections.

Vető wrote several studies together with Viktor Szigetvári. Two of these were prepared for Magyar Electricity Works between 2007 and 2009, the main topic of which was the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant. The perception of the project was measured by telephone polls, and in addition to the more important findings, they had to prepare a proposal to "support the communication strategy and measure the effectiveness" of the possible development in Paks.

De Szigetvári and Vető also jointly noted the study they prepared in 2012 for the Haza és Haladás Foundation, which bears the name Gordon Bajnai, in which the conditions for the victory of the left in the new electoral system were examined.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENTS AND CONTRACTS OVER FIVE MILLION HUF MUST BE DISCLOSED ON THE WEBSITE OF THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, BUT THERE IS NO TRACE ON THE WEBSITE OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ILONA MATKOVICH AND BÁLÁZ VETő.

The document raises questions as to why Ilona Matkovich contracts with a foundation for a public opinion poll and not with a specialized company. According to the court registration of the foundation led by Balázs Vető, "the foundation aims to develop four areas: strengthening the social safety net, developing democracy, economy, environmental protection." How the preparation of a public opinion survey fits into this is not clear.

The timing of the signing of the contract is also interesting: the agreement was reached one month after the 2022 parliamentary elections, but the next vote, which also affected Matkovich, was still quite far away at that time. It is almost incomprehensible why the mayor needed a public opinion poll. Regarding the topic, the daily newspaper sent its questions to Vác mayor Ilona Matkovich.

Source: Origo

Featured image: Hungarian Nation