Let's restore democracy!

Democratic competition

In a well-functioning democracy, different opinions compete with each other. None of the actors in public life can get to the point of successfully silencing the critical opinions of others, and at the same time positioning themselves as the representative of the majority.

During the decades of socialism, it was obvious that there was a dominant ideology that everyone had to conform to. Those who were socialized in this system did not really get to experience what it is like to respect the opinions of others and tolerate criticism. So it is no wonder if many of them now want their own worldview to be the sole ruler.

Majority opinion

However, there is no such thing as “majority opinion”, just as the average Hungarian does not exist. Although we all ultimately want the same thing, everyone imagines the path to happiness slightly differently. Therefore, always agreeing on everything is almost impossible.

Do you think that the wisdom and the judgment of the majority should be trusted? Then you should probably want a male intimate partner too, since 52% of Hungary’s population consists of females. And if you don’t happen to desire a man, how would it feel to go against the will of the perceived majority?

Hungarian interest

There is also no such thing as “Hungarian interest”. Every Hungarian's life situation is different, so their personal interests are disparate too. The human being’s basic nature, which provides evolutionary advantages, is to try to acquire the available resources first for herself, for her descendants, and then for those who are similar to her.

We can say, for example, that it is certainly in Hungary's interest to have high-quality asphalted streets, but on what basis do we make the decision when the question arises as to whose streets we should pave? On what basis should we decide: where do you live, where there is more traffic, or where more people support the current government?

Empowerment of minorities

People can therefore be divided into countless minority groups based on their common views and interests. In the past, these groups used to be in a strict subordination relationship, but in today's liberal democracies, they already compete with equal opportunities to gain a social role that goes beyond their circles.

It may happen, for example, that in Hungary, where only 20% of taxpayers are willing to choose a church to give them 1% of their taxes when filing their annual tax declarations, yet 54% of the voters in the parliamentary elections are voting for the party that represents the interests of the religious minority. Although the majority of voters are not interested in churches, many social groups may still find the political opinion of a Christian community attractive.

Excessive power and dependency

If, on the other hand, certain minorities subjugate other social groups, then democracy is harmed. The predominance of the ruling groups stifles social debate, makes it impossible to criticize the mistakes of the governing minority, and finally, instead of the cooperation of the minority groups, growth at the expense of the other, thus playing zero-sum games becomes the driving force of society.

If a ruling party spends taxpayers' money on producing news programmes disparaging its opposition and instilling among its supporters the idea that anyone who criticizes the government is a traitor, then there is a good chance that this will prevent people from talking about the quality of its governance. Furthermore, if the government commissions certain entrepreneurs on their loyalty and not on their merits, this will create groups that will always depend on the support of the ruling party, and will not survive in a competitive environment.

Competition and development

Thus, if the competition between minorities ceases, the driving force that encourages people to continuously develop themselves will cease within each group as well. It is also not worth investing in development if some social groups can get annuities with much lower risk if they accept the superior position of the governing minority.

If it is hopeless within a party to ever replace the party president, then why would anyone try to work hard to prove to his fellow party members that she could also lead the organization? Or why should anyone invest in the long-term development of their company, when they know that the state can change the rules of the game overnight - and in the end, it's the good relationships with the governing party that matter anyway?

Political apathy

In a country where there is no chance of replacing a particular party in a fair competition, even if there are many different communities with conflicting interests, no one will establish or join political parties, and finally give up their civilian jobs in exchange for an uncertain and hopeless political career - especially as long as their livelihood is actually seems to be secured.

The indifference to politics means that most minorities renounce participation in public life and the right to have a say in common affairs. In this situation, it is quite normal for a political party to win an election without an election programme or, for example, not to promote on its website how can someone become a member.

Redistribution of the pie

But if there is no competition, there is no development and no growth. Thus, everyone's basic desire to have better living standards year after year can only be ensured if the government consistently supports only fewer chosen ones or takes more away from those who are not among the privileged.

If a filmmaker with a strong national sentiment received one billion for a historical film this year, then of course he would like to get more than one billion in support for his next film idea. This increase is only possible if the other films receive less support. At the end of the process, only these films reflecting a strong Hungarian sentiment will get money, regardless of what kind of films people would like to see in the cinema.

Finding the right path

Moreover, in a well-functioning democracy, it is not the end of the world if a minority falls short in the competition and its support from other social groups ceases: its opinion will be considered even when it belongs to the opposition, and its interests will be taken into account when important decisions on the country’s future are made. At the same time, electoral failure gives the minority that could not get the support it used to possess the opportunity to draw the consequences, and thus also to progress and become more aligned with the needs of the society.

This is why, to this day, no better system than liberal democracy has been invented to guide the intentions of these many, many minorities in the direction of long-term development that is acceptable to most of us. That is why we want to restore fair competition among equally important minority groups when it comes to winning the trust of the voters.