Despite some rude and anti-Semitic comments uttered by a Hungarian parliamentary candidate, the left-wing opposition insists on lining up behind him ahead of the upcoming by-elections. Anti-Semitism is not uncharted waters at the politician s party, as several party members have been embroiled in various anti-Semitic scandals.

On Friday a ruling by Hungary s Supreme Court (Kuria) regarding the case of Laszlo Biro has triggered considerable uproar in Hungary s political circles. Laszlo Biro, member of the Jobbik party, is running to be a government representative in Borsod county s sixth constituency, after the recent death of the previous regional councillor in an accident.

However, a few days ago, the National Election Office (NVB) refused to register Jobbik as a nominating body in the Tiszaujvaros by-elections, because the application was submitted by a legal representative, whose right to representation is currently not in force. This decision was also upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday.

Still, according to the latest news reports, Laszlo Biro will continue to be the constituency s opposition candidate, as the opposition parties have decided to line up behind him.

In fact, the past of candidate Laszlo Biro is extremely objectionable, as the politician is known to have posted many harsh anti-Semitic comments on social media. In one post, Mr Biro wrote, „My dog goes nuts, when the „earlocked Yiddos” pass by the house. I ve got friends in the hotel industry, and they tell me what is going on.” According to an article published by the daily Magyar Nemzet, Laszlo Biro referred to the fact that Polish, Russian and Israeli Hasidic Jews are regular visiting guests and religious tourists in the hotels of Szerencs, a town in northeastern Hungary, and the surrounding area.

In another post, the politician wrote that in Germany, the rise of National Socialists to power has led to order and economic-political stability. „Within one election cycle unemployment has disappeared and Jew s bank capital accrued through usury has been excluded from the economy,” Mr Biro said. He then added that at that time, „cosmopolitan-Zionist circles had already decided to destroy the regime of Adolf Hitler.”

In yet another comment, the municipal candidate simply described Budapest as „Judapest”. Besides, although Laszlo Biro had sharply criticised Ferenc Gyurcsany, the leader of the left-wing Democratic Coalition (DK) party, he does not seem to have any issues with the fact that he enjoys DK s renewed political support.

Laszlo Biro has since deleted all his posts containing unacceptable statements and iploaded a general apology.

This is not the first time the Hungarian opposition has nominated a candidate with anti-Semitic views. Last summer saw another former Jobbik MEP, who decided to run in the municipal elections in the autumn, get enbroiled in a national scandal. Gergely Kulcsar gained notoriety when he spat on one of Budapest s most famous Holocaust memorials, the „Shoes on the Danube Bank”. In a subsequent letter addressed to hs colleague in Jobbik, Kulcsar described the Holocaust as a „Hoax-caust”. Eventually, the politician pulled out of the municipal race.

Statements by Marton Gyongyosi, the former vice-president of Jobbik, have also caused considerable outrage. In 2012, the politician came up with the idea of listing MPs of Jewish descent. Later he joked about gas chambers and the potential of launching a war against Israel.

In July, another member of Jobbik, Tibor Nunkovics, basically called Fidesz MEP Tamas Deutsch a Jew in the Hungarian parliament. While the Fidesz politician was speaking about the fact that Jobbik had previously asked for the listing MPs of Jewish origin, Nunkovics „made a completely clear comment and signal” and then pointed at the Fidesz lawmaker. Nunkobics first pointed at his nose, and then at Mr Deutsch.

Many in Hungary also remember the video featuring Tamas Sneider, a former politician of Jobbik. Mr Sneider is seen with his wife, who is sitting on his shoulders mimicking a Nazi salute. Footage recorded by Hungary s Hir TV has also revealed that Tamas Sneider s wedding was not short of racist and homophobic jokes, either.

Istvan Szavay, a former Jobbik politician, was also enmeshed in a harsh anti-Semitic scandal. In a leaked audio recording, he is heard boasting about beating a Jewish woman who had called him a Nazi. Although Mr Szavay later defended himself by saying that he hadn t actually hit the woman, it did little in the way of changing his original comments.

Another former Jobbik politician and municipal election candidate, Lorant Budai, is also known to have shared Nazi thoughts. He quoted Adolf Hitler, for example, and Hungarian Ferenc Szalasi, later convicted as a war criminal by the Budapest People s Court. Reflecting on his comments last year, Mr Budai said there s no need in 2019 to discuss what he shared on his social many years ago.