“I have already been a church attender, when Viktor Orbán as the Vice-President of the Liberal International called “habits” the member of the clergy, and on an occasion of a Trianon commemoration he has marched out from the parliamentary session”

- Péter Márki-Zay a few days ago compared his own conservatism to the current prime minister. The religious, central-right rooted and positioned source from Békés county who knows the family confirmed: the politician is from Gyula, his father is described as a graduated physics teacher who is devoted to the civil axiom even in party-state times. Moreover, an exceptionally creative, manager attitude person.

Beyond his father and his chemist mother the ascendants – by Wikipedia that updates every detail constantly, by his extravagantly precise biography – are found to have many intellectuals in them, such as doctors and lawyers. His great-grandfather was the principal of the Reformed high school in Hódmezővásárhely. 

Péter Márki-Zay has also took his final exam in this high school in 1990, then first he studied in the Budapest Business School Faculty of Commerce, Catering and Tourism then in 1996 he obtained master’s degree of Economics at Corvinus University of Budapest. Later at the Budapest Tech Polytechnical Institution he achieved electrical engineer degree, and then he further enriched his degree collection with a Master of Business Administration at Pázmány Péter Catholic University. He doctorated in 2006.

He has advanced language certificates in English, German and French and a basic Russian. Furthermore, he learnt Spanish, and Finnish whilst he stayed in Finland for half a year. With regards to his knowledge of languages Róbert Molnár, the former member of the Independent Smallholders, now the mayor of Kübekháza who worked closely in the campaign with MZP recalled to Hetek that in an international press conference he answered to the journalists question in English, German and French alternately. With respect to his career, he worked for the local sectors influential companies since he was young. First the Southern-Hungarian Electric Supplier then he moved to Szentes to work for Kontavill-Legrand in economist and marketing manager positions. These two Corporations had key roles in his career later.

At the same time – continuing the family’s educational traditions – he began to teach economy in University of Szeged for a couple of years.

Virgin Mary and women’s equality

He married in 1994 to his research physicist wife. They raise up seven children together.

His private life, along with the details of his marriage was discussed a few days ago in an intimate YouTube video with the Liberal ex-politician Péter Juhász (who quickly stated two things in the beginning of the video; that he voted to Péter Márki-Zay in the primary, on the other hand the meeting was primarily focusing on discussing liberal themes). The interview uncovered that between their civil and ecclesiastical marriage one year has passed, although, he believes that the European culture`s cornerstone is in the state`s secular nature, he determines the date of their marriage is not the civil, but a year afterward the ecclesiastical event – until that he did not live nor had act of marriage with his wife.

However, he asserted that as a result of the secular nature of the state the state recognition of gay marriage is not an issue for him.

A few days ago, he stood for the same-sex rights in a rally that took place in Madach square (among the main supporters of the event Gergely Karacsony, Bernadett Szel, the former vice-president of the Hungarian National Bank, Julia Kiraly, and Akos Hadhazy – who is a distant cousin of Marky-Zay – spoke up.

Throughout the campaign, his statement of Klara Dobrev stirred up a storm as he stated

“despite of her sex she was the most successful politician of this race in Hungary”

this sentence was considered among the opposition too outrageous, anti-feminine, and fundamentalist in the 21st century. In the previously mentioned Peter Juhasz interview Marki-Zay tried to soften this image, many times mentioned the importance of women emancipation, appreciated his wife, his women colleagues, even his current opponent Klara Dobrev too.

He mentioned that Virgin Mary, and the spread of Marianism has an imprescriptible role in women`s equality. On another occasion -just to make sure both gender are included -, he said with “sacred conviction” that Jesus was leftist, which statement had stumbled even a lot of non-religious people – indicated that the Liberation theology that began in South-America had a major role in the background of his spiritual ideology.

He has no sense of fear

A communicational expert who knows the politician highlighted particularly this –sometimes unstoppable – drive and confidence in his character. As he stated, in the public performance of Márky-Zay cannot even be detected in traces the discourage and bashfulness that makes the eastern European people often affright. These statement in the campaign– particularly in the finishing period – have been claimed by such sentences.

We can only understand why Miklos Tamas Gaspar called Peter Marky Zay and his supporters “a group of right wing radicals” if we consider that he claimed politicians on the left traitors of their country, his campaign promises on accountability on the current government, or claiming that the DK is “liar”.

Our source thinks this fearless, sometimes even reckless attitude is thanks to his stay for five years in North America. The family moved to Canada in 2004, then after a few years to the States. The head of the family first became a door-to-door salesman at AT&T telecommunication company, then a marketing manager at a car-parts dealer company. Because of the growing number of the family his wife could not continue her research physicist work, she first started to learn interior decoration, then influenced by a Canadian medical couple the practice of out of institution birth (home delivery).

Not surprisingly, after they moved back, she had a major role in working out the protocol of home delivery, in fact she was the first one in our country to get a legal permission to continue this practice. There were more than 200 infants were born in their home maternity ward in Hodmezovasarhely, since then doula and midwife are amongs Felicia Vince`s, the wife`s distinguished certificates. With regards to this it needs to be mentioned that in 2019 Origo has accused her that while she was a midwife an infant was died. However, she won the defamation suit, therefore the news portal had to pay 2 million forints because of the damages of her reputation.

The quoted Robert Molnar who has monitored MZP`s political career from the beginning, in fact had a considerable role on his mayor campaign to succeed in 2018 has drawn attention to another important aspect of Peter Marky-Zay which is his determination. As he stated, it was with a huge political counterblow and many obstructions which had to be taken during by-election and his determination paired with his workload that brought them success till the end.

Molnar referred this to those events, when he got appointed, the day after he has been dismissed from his job, the institutions of the city “from order above” did not provide him space for his campaigns, he did not get air in the local media, and he was being watched with street cameras all day before the elections.

Despite all these events, he has won the election.

To the question related to MZP`s “invisible foreign” supporter to his previous and current campaign, he responded with a smile and said they are non-existent, therefore those fairy tales regarding “international support” in his political engagement are not true. He rather highlighted that many private citizens support the politician, therefore his campaign is entirely fair and transparent.

The previously mentioned communicational expert added to the integrity part that it was noticeable during the primary election, that Peter Marky-Zay`s responses relating all the public questions are prompt, and well-articulated. Although, those responses– which was manifested on their withdrawal debate with Gergely Karacsony- could be draw back instantly.

His prime minister program which is structured to be brute and radical called “Only upwards!” – the essence is to “replace Viktor Orban” fits to the other opposition`s program- presented where the classic conservative and social-democrat elements can be found just as well as the “green” and liberal objectives.

It is clear, that he tries to develop common ground not only with his sympathizers but with his debate partners as well to attain more supporters thus to gain more votes. This is not without danger, -as the experts says – this “political ecumenism” can be the result of losing political prestige and identity.

Obviously, MZP tries to outreach and win as many voters as he can from the “buffet” of the opposition. However, the las couple of days have shown that the voters are not attracted to the multicolours nor to the candidate`s radicalism. Although, his main ally, Laszlo Botka has congratulated when Gergely Karacsony has withdrawn in favour of him, in the circles of MSZP and the liberals a perceptible confusion has been occurred with regards to Marky-Zay, especially when numerous “hotshots” of the left have assured their support towards Klara Dobrev. It is not yet known whether he is going to win the primary against Klara Dobrev, although it is perceptible that the deep layer of the left is not convicted by his controversial manifestations.

(translation by Jonathan Lajos)