How is it possible to imagine any kind of discount based on party membership in a public institution operating with public money?
Up to a third of the price of performances is waived for DK members at the Katona József Theater, which is maintained by the capital and operates with public funds. A few years ago, Ferenc Gyurcsány's newsletter promoted the theater's anti-government demonstration, and the DK president personally stood up for the revival of director Gábor Máté.
Members of the Democratic Coalition will receive a significant discount on tickets for the November performances at the Katona József Theater in the capital, according to an internal letter obtained by our newspaper.
"Thank you for being a member of the DK community, which we would like to thank with a special opportunity! Until the end of November, you can buy tickets to one of the best theaters in Budapest, the Katona József Színház, at a discount - up to 30 percent cheaper!"
– can be read in the communiqué intended for the members of the Gyurcsány party. There is a section on the theater's website where the discount can be claimed by naming the "institution" - in this case the DK.
It raises many questions as to how it is possible to imagine any kind of discount on the basis of party membership in a public institution operating with public funds. We contacted the press department of the Katona József Színház about the matter by e-mail, but so far no response has been received. Thus, it is currently not known whether the management of the theater offered discounts to DK members, as well as who will pay for them.
In any case, it is worth recalling that in recent years the Katona József Színház has also closely cooperated with the Gyurcsány party in politically motivated movements.
Thus, for example, in the newsletter of Ferenc Gyurcsány, the December 2019 anti-government demonstration organized by the theater was promoted, at which artists associated with the institution also spoke, such as director Béla Pintér and actor Pál Mácsai. The campaign video announcing the demonstration also featured the actor Ervin Nagy, who regularly appears at left-wing demonstrations and who practically became an anti-government activist.
Also at the end of 2019, at a press conference held together with Ferenc Gyurcsány, the former Deputy Mayor of the Southern Region Erzsébet Gy. Németh predicted another term for the director of the theater: "he will remain the director of the Katona József Színház, and that's it."
Since then, Gábor Máté has been at the head of the theater, and the question is whether his relationship with the Gyurcsánys has anything to do with the new discount provided to DK members.
It is also noteworthy that this summer Gergely Karácsony approved the payment of almost HUF 300 million in bonuses to the managers of the capital's companies, and he also earmarked a nice sum for Máté - HUF 6.3 million.
