Delegates from Hungary’s radical right-wing party, Jobbik, unanimously voted for Péter Jakab (pictured), whose mother’s family is Jewish, to be its mayoral candidate for Miskolc at the weekend.

Jakab said the fact of his Jewish ancestry proves that ethnicity is not the main issue for the far-right party, but that a Jobbik-run Miskolc would put an end to hand-outs for the undeserving. “There are two kinds of people: builders and destroyers,” he said at a press conference after the nomination.

Jakab did not say which camp he himself belongs to.  However, he did note that Jobbik is now the main opposition party on the Fidesz-run Miskolc council and expressed hope that Jobbik could win control of City Hall in the upcoming ballot.

He added that Jobbik fully supports the proposed demolition of a Roma settlement in the north-eastern city.  His party’s councilors opposed the vote to bulldoze the area and pay compensation to the residents last month, then explained that they supported the demolition but not the compensation.

Many regard this as a cynical ploy on the part of Jobbik whose leaders and rank and file are generally considered anti-semitic.

Referenced in this article:

Zsidó származású polgármester-jelöltet indít a Jobbik, 29 June 2014