Over the past week, a rising star in Hungarian politics shared his story of standing (sometimes alone) for free market values and individualism with Austin conservatives and liberty activists.
Independent Member of Parliament Zoltán Kész spoke to the World Affairs Council at Austin Community College and Liberty Action Texas, among other stops.
Kész, who broke the 2/3 super-majority held by Hungary's ruling party, Fidesz, became the target of media scorn upon winning his election at age 41 earlier this year. Since then, he has used his bully pulpit to expose corruption and expand the Free Market Foundation he helped to start in Hungary in 2011. Many have compared his lone-contender status to that of former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who often stood alone on opposition to government expansion.
Representing the Western Hungarian town of Veszprém, Kész said he does not represent a small minority of the Hungarian population, but the values that many voters thought were being reflected by the predominant political parties. He said the ruling party was elected on a platform of fiscal restraint, but has instead nationalized employee pensions and several financial institutions.
Kész said a state-run media makes it very difficult to counter narratives put out by the establishment. An unchallenged culture of government corruption, he added, made things difficult for his family when he ran for office: his parents' restaurant experienced more tax audits that year than in the entirety of its existence.
His secret to victory despite overwhelming odds: "Knocking on doors and getting to know neighbors," he said, which is becoming a lost art with many professional politicians relying on advertising and social media.
Kész regretted that anti-semitism and neo-Nazi sentiment is making a comeback in Hungarian politics. The far-right Jobbik party holds 24 out of 131 parliament seats. He hopes common-sense conservatism can provide a constructive alternative for those who wish to see change.
When not shaking things up in the National Assembly, Kész teaches history and English, and works as a translator. His love for the English language is matched by an equal love of American culture. His Free Market Foundation website (http://www.kapitalizmus.com) features a Statue of Liberty logo and quotes by American classical economist Milton Friedman.
Here's a clip of him speaking to a Kansas Pachyderm Club in 2014:
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