Hungarian
Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party have suffered a critical
by-election defeat. The result may signal a decline in popularity of the
right-wing party that has ruled in a coalition since 2010.
Deutsche Welle, 23 Feb 2015
Orban and
his right-wing Fidesz party have ruled Hungary in a coalition with the
Christian Democrats since 2010, using their powerful two-thirds majority to
make broad constitutional changes that critics say have placed limits on press
freedom and judicial authority.
But the
majority was lost Sunday in a by-election as voters in Veszprem, a historically
conservative town southwest of Budapest, surprisingly elected independent
candidate Zoltan Kesz with 43.1 percent of the vote. Fidesz candidate Lajos
Nemedi received 33.4 percent of the ballots cast.
"We
have shown a yellow card to the government," Kesz said following his
electoral triumph.
A coalition
of leftist and liberal parties supported Kesz in his victory.
"The
voters in Veszprem have fulfilled the expectations of the entire country and
ended Fidesz's two-thirds majority," Kesz said.
Orban recently welcomed Putin to Budapest to negotiate a long-term energy deal with Russia |
Fidesz has
seen a sharp drop in popularity following a at the end of last year and
protests against a proposed Internet tax.
"For
the Orban government, it is a sign that there is currently a strong atmosphere
of protest in the country," political scientist Attila Juhasz told
Hungarian broadcaster ATV.
Orban for
his part played down the results of the election and said that he did not
foresee initiating future legislation that would require a super-majority in
parliament.
Critics
accuse Orban of authoritarian tendencies and say he has been cosying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orban just last week hosted the Russian leader in order to work out a long-term contract for the delivery of Russian
gas to Hungary. Thousands took to the streets to protest the visit.
"We resent
Orban making a fool of Hungary by inviting Putin here to do secret deals while
there is a war next door in Ukraine," protest organizer Marton Gulyas told
the AFP news agency last Tuesday.
bw/cmk (AFP, dpa)
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