Poorest village, highest number of candidates: the 2024 June 9th elections in Tiszabura
(Tiszabura, for Népszava)
The village in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County had the highest number of candidates in the municipal elections nationwide, 51 in total.The half a hundred candidates were allowed to send the same number of delegates to the polling stations, who selflessly "helped" the voters. However, the atmosphere was not only tense here, where fraud followed fraud, with sometimes three people in a booth at the same time, but also on the street. Many people were fed up with former mayor László Farkas (FIROSZ), who they said had been pumping out money for his own family. The CiKöSz headed then by Attila Sztojka, Fidesz MP and State Secretary for Roma Relations, has launched a candidate. Géza Vavrik, an entrepreneur, has won as a gadjo in the segregated village, which is 95% Roma and one of the poorest settlements in the country. Although there was a fierce battle for votes, the parties agreed on one thing: everyone on the EU list voted for Fidesz, as Roma organisations seek the favour of the governing party.
A man is drinking a beer on the side of the main road on the day of the elections. A huge Bluetooth speaker is mounted on the roof of a car. The car is used for mobilisation by the local CiKöSz team, whose poster can be seen in the background.
The ballot paper of the individual candidates in one of the polling stations. A total of 51 people ran for the seats. Most of them either from the CiKöSz (Federation of Gypsy Communities) or FIROSZ (National Federation of Young Roma).
Voters wait to enter the polling station.
A couple "helps" a voter, presumably to get the X into the right box.
A woman fills in the ballot papers. Many voted in the presence of others, giving those bystanders a chance to have a say in who they voted for. According to some locals all the political formations running offered the same amount of money, 20,000 forints (around 49 EUR) per vote.
A woman drops a ballot paper into one of the ballot boxes.
Onlookers or observers at one of the polling stations. As an outsider, it was hard to keep track of who was whose delegate and whether they were following the rules at all.
Locals posing for a photo close to one of the polling stations.
Hand-drawn campaign poster with the CiKöSz candidate on the wall of the local national tobacco shop.
Men celebrate in front of the local national tobacco shop. Although it's only afternoon and voting is still in full swing, many around the tobacco shop are already in a flush of victory. There's a big crowd of CiKöSz supporters gathering here. One of the candidates is also present. Tonight, their candidate, Géza Vavrik, will win the mayor's seat, but will this make any difference to the daily life of one of the poorest Hungarian settlements?