Hungary: first day of opposition primary interrupted by cyber attack
Due to a cyberattack on the digital electoral system, the candidate of the Hungarian Green Party LMP and volunteers close the polling station in Nyugati Square in Budapest on September 18, 2021. AFP - ATTILA KISBENEDEK
Text by: Florence La Bruyère Follow
3 min
On Saturday morning, Hungarians began to vote online and in stands set up in public places to decide between opposition candidates.
But a few hours after the start of the vote, a cyberattack interrupted this primary.
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From our correspondent in Budapest,
In this large square in Budapest, there were so many people that Zsofia, a retiree who has spent her entire career in human resources, had to queue to vote.
According to her, Socialist MEP Klara Dobrev is best placed to beat Viktor Orban.
"
Klara Dobrev is a good person, she has my full support,
" she says.
The current government is stealing public money, and there is no more democracy.
"
Zsuzsa is much less enthusiastic.
This artist participates in this primary but without any illusions.
She does not believe in a victory for the opposition over Viktor Orban: “
The opposition has no chance.
Our dictator will cheat again in the next election.
"
But a few hours after the start of the vote, everything stops.
The computer system of the NGO which manages the election was overloaded, but it also suffered a cyberattack, explains this volunteer from an opposition party: “
There were several attacks against the system.
In my opinion, the public prosecutor is not going to rush to open an investigation,
”she laughs.
Prosecutor Péter Polt is indeed a loyal supporter of the Prime Minister.
Opposition leaders suspect the ruling party is behind this cyberattack.
They assure that the Hungarians will be able to vote again from Monday morning.
"
They want to silence the Hungarians
"
Reacting to the incident which prevented him from voting in his town of Miskolc, Péter Jakab, candidate for Jobbik, a former ultra-nationalist party now refocused, said in a video message: “
It seems that some are afraid of the voices that call for a change of government.
"They" want to silence the Hungarians.
"
Centrist opposition MP Bence Tordai posted a scathing comment on social media.
: "
Fidesz
- Putin - China ... Who wants to stop the primaries?
".
Gergely Karacsony, liberal mayor and environmentalist of Budapest, leading candidate in the polls, commented: "
The computer system has been attacked from the outside, a sign that some want to prevent us from exercising our democratic rights
", adding, determined: “
The vote will resume on Monday morning (…) The process of changing government has started.
"
The opposition denigrated in the press
Within the ruling clan's media empire, which includes some 500 media outlets, we have jumped at the opportunity to denigrate the opposition.
The daily
Magyar Nemzet
calls the first day of the opposition primary a "
total failure
", while the Pesti Sracok website quotes an analyst in the employ of power.
"
If the opposition is not even able to organize a primary, how the hell could they run the country?
», Writes Daniel Deak.
►
To listen and read also: Hungary: Gergely Karacsony, potential challenger of the opposition against Viktor Orban [European of the week]
From the left to the nationalists, six parties have joined forces for next year's legislative elections to form a united front against outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The opposition parties have embarked on a common government program, the main slogan of which seems to be “Everything but Orban”.
For this primary, voters first choose from among the five candidates vying for the chair of Prime Minister, and they also select the representatives they wish to see sit in Parliament.
The first round must take place until September 26, then if necessary, a second round will be held from October 4 to 10 to decide between the three contenders for the post of Prime Minister who came out on top.
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Hungary
Viktor Orban
Cybercriminality