Anti-elite politics hits Hungary

Blanka Kovács | 4th January 2022 | Uncategorised

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - OCTOBER 23 2021: Supporters of the Fidesz party hold placards and flags

Péter Márki-Zay is an independent politician running to become prime minister. He stormed through the second round of primaries, but what are his chances of winning against Viktor Orbán this spring?

October in Hungary: the second round of the country’s primaries. In Budapest, a near-revolutionary atmosphere materialised after voters opted for Péter Márki-Zay to be Viktor Orbán’s opponent in this spring’s elections. In a historical moment for Hungarian politics, the six most prominent opposition parties united behind a single candidate. This is a colossal achievement after years of disagreement and discord and an opportunity to overthrow the Fidesz-KDNP coalition that has been in power for the last decade. Who’s who? The alliance includes the centrist Momentum Movement, the centre-right Jobbik, the centre-left Democratic Coalition (DK), the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), the liberal green party LMP and the left-of-centre, green Dialogue for Hungary, which have started to work on a common programme through lengthy negotiations and compromises since last October. Out of the five prime ministerial candidates, the final round was between Péter Márki-Zay, the independent conservative...

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