Saturday, May 15, 2021
‘Hungary is in trouble’
The mayor of Budapest wants to replace Orban
After the apparent victories of Viktors Orbans Fidesz in Hungary’s last three parliamentary elections, six opposition parties see only one chance: in the 2022 elections they want to replace the prime minister together. The greatest hope is now placed as a challenge.
The hugely popular mayor of Budapest, Girjeli Karasoni, wants to challenge the right-wing nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, in Hungary’s upcoming parliamentary elections. The liberal politician announced in a video on Facebook that he wants to run in the opposition primaries for the largest candidate. He is now the favorite, which means the 45-year-old is expected to play against Orban in April of next year.
“I have a feeling that Hungary is in trouble, and our country is so divided,” Caraxoni said in a video recorded in his village of Nertason, about 270 kilometers from Budapest. “I would very much like to serve for the reunification of Hungary.”
The six-party opposition coalition holds the primary. It is the first time that a senior candidate has been selected in this way in Hungary. Caraxoni is currently considered the country’s most respected opposition politician. Three of the six parties involved had announced before his candidacy that they would support him in the primaries.
If he wins before the election, the 45-year-old will be an opponent of Prime Minister Orban in the upcoming parliamentary elections, which are likely to take place in April of next year. In current opinion polls, the opposition coalition is directly ahead of Orban’s Fidesz. It was clear that this had won the last three parliamentary elections, which were also due to the split of the opposition camp. To solve this problem, six opposition parties from left to liberal to the right now want to run in the elections with a common candidate.