The Social Democratic Party, one of many parties challenging the ruling Socialists in national elections next year, split into two factions Saturday because of policy disagreements.
The Social Democratic Party is one of nearly two dozen new or reformed parties preparing for the contested elections, which will be the first since the Communist Party consolidated power in 1948.Leaders of the new faction, calling itself the Independent Social Democratic Party, accused their rivals of bourgeois tendencies. The accusations came on the second day of a congress called to plan election strategies.
Spokeswoman Anna Petrasovits of the mainstream faction criticized the breakaway group, saying it seeks alliances with the East European left. "We represent the (West) European left," she told Hungarian television.
One issue that split the Social Democratic Party was whether or not to cooperate with the Socialist Party, which replaced the Communist Party when it was disbanded last month. The Socialist Party professed democratic ideals but is still headed by leaders of the defunct Communist Party.