Outgoing Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said on Monday Hungary's main parties must join forces to prevent the far right entering parliament in April elections, calling it a "monster" that threatens democracy. Hungary will hold elections on April 11 and 25. Opinion polls give the far-right party Jobbik 6-7 percent support, which could lead to it winning dozens of seats in the Hungarian parliament. It won three in the European parliament last year. Jobbik has been banking on deep public discontent over the economic crisis and rising resentment against Hungary's large Roma minority. It campaigns on tax cuts, clamping down on corruption and what it calls "Roma crime". "This monster stands in front of our doors and is banging on the door demanding that we let it in," Bajnai said in a speech in parliament. Jobbik has no representation in parliament. "It became a movement ... from a movement a party, and it got into European Parliament and now it wants to make it into the Hungarian parliament," said Bafnai, who is not running in the April election. Jobbik has strong support in the countryside, mainly in the northeast where unemployment is high. Analysts have said that cooperation with the far right could dent the next government's image in the eyes of investors. Bajnai said Jobbik had no realistic programme and was only seeking scapegoats for the economic crisis. "The far right ... abuses democracy and freedom. It lies that it has a solution to all those who have been worn out and have lost patience, while it itself is the problem," he said. The main centre-right opposition party Fidesz, widely expected to win the elections and oust the ruling Socialists, has ruled out any coalition with Jobbik. The Socialist minority government has steered Hungary back from the brink of financial collapse since it called in the International Monetary Fund in 2008. But the economy contracted by 6.3 percent in 2009 and job losses soared. The main parties remained split later on Monday in votes on proposals to fight both far-right and far-left ideas. Parliament approved legislation to punish public Holocaust denial with up to three years in prison, the Socialists voting in favour and Fidesz, whose proposal to add Communist crimes to the bill failed to get a majority, abstaining.reuters
