Jobbik MP calls for list of Jews in Parliament

On November 26, 2012, Márton Gyöngyösi, a member of the far-right Jobbik party in the National Assembly, sparked national and international outrage when he stated in a parliamentary speech: “It is time (…) to assess how many people of Jewish descent living here—and especially those in the Hungarian Parliament and the Hungarian government—pose a national security risk to Hungary.” The anti-Semitic speech was widely condemned and followed by a cross-party protest involving tens of thousands of people. The next day, Gyöngyösi somewhat clarified his remarks, stating that his party considers assessing national security risks important only in the case of dual citizens, but that he “apologizes to our Jewish compatriots” for the “misleading statement.” Even so, the label of anti-Semitism stuck to the party and Gyöngyösi for a long time.