A diverse coalition of opposition parties made their final appeal to Hungarian voters on Saturday ahead of the country’s fiercely fought election that will decide whether nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues his autocratic rule for a fourth consecutive term.
Several hundred supporters of the six-party coalition, United For Hungary, gathered in the rain in central Budapest one day before the vote on Sunday. The movement’s leader, Peter Marki-Zay, said this national election was about bringing an end to “the most corrupt government in our 1,000-year history,” and ushering in a new era of inclusive democracy in the Central European and European Union nation.
“We welcome everyone, right or left, Christian, Jewish or atheist, of any origin or sexual orientation. Because we believe that what’s important is not what divides us, but what unites us,” Marki-Zay said.
A small-town mayor and self-proclaimed conservative Christian, Marki-Zay, 49, became the figurehead of the six-party coalition after he was selected by an opposition primary in October to challenge Orban for the post of prime minister.
The six parties, which include the liberal Democratic Coalition, the centrist Momentum and the right-wing Jobbik, as well as smaller green parties and Socialists, are for the first time running against Orban’s right-wing Fidesz party as a united bloc. Continue Reading
(SOURCE) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hungary-election-orban-opposition_n_62491870e4b007d38456d530
