Hungary will hold its parliamentary elections on April 3, the president announced on Tuesday January 11, a ballot that promises to be tight for sovereignist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who returned to power in 2010.
Read alsoTrump calls for re-election of Hungarian Viktor Orban, a “great leader”
Janos Ader disclosed the date in a statement posted on his website. Viktor Orban, who is aiming for a fourth term in a row, is facing a united opposition for the first time. Its popularity remains high in this central European country of 9.8 million inhabitants. Its supporters praise stability and its defense of national interests as well as Christian identity. Conversely, the 58-year-old leader is criticized for his hard line against immigration since the 2015 crisis, and his positions “illiberal»On many subjects, such as judicial independence, press freedom and the rights of LGBT + people.
An unprecedented alliance against Orban
Along with his Polish partners, he has established himself over the years as a fierce critic of the policies of the European Union, which has launched proceedings against him. At the beginning of January, his action earned him the “most comprehensive support“From former US President Donald Trump, who praised him”a great leader“,”loving his country wholeheartedly and seeking safety for his people“. In the last elections of 2018, Fidesz and its coalition partner, the Christian Democratic Party, won 48% of the vote, winning 133 of the 199 seats in the assembly.
This time, the opposition has come together to propose a single candidate for the post of Prime Minister and in the 106 constituencies. And never has a general election been so uncertain since 2006. Facing Viktor Orban, Peter Marki-Zay, 49, won in October against all odds at the end of the primaries organized by six right-wing parties. nationalist to the Social Democrats. “If we stand united, then we will be able to overthrow the most corrupt government of the last thousand years in Hungary», Promised last week this conservative mayor of a provincial town, practicing Catholic.
Read alsoIn Hungary, Emmanuel Macron tries a non-aggression pact with Viktor Orban
The unprecedented alliance hopes to overthrow “the authoritarianViktor Orban, who introduced electoral rules accused of favoring his party to the detriment of other formations. “By putting aside its internal divisions, the opposition has given itself a real chance of success, while Viktor Orban will find it difficult to secure a super-majorityBy two-thirds, believes analyst Daniel Mikecz of the Republikon think tank. “But if this ‘miracle weapon’ (of the union) does not work, we must expect a deep crisisFor Fidesz’s opponents, he warns.