Legislative in Hungary: the opposition wants to believe in its victory
Audio 01:29
Hungarian opponent Peter Mark-Zay during his last meeting, April 2 in Budapest.
AP - Petr David Josek
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
United for the first time in twelve years, the Hungarian opposition approaches the legislative elections of this Sunday April 3 with only one objective: to finish with the Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Its leader, Peter Marki-Zay, gave his very last meeting in Budapest this Saturday evening.
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Six months ago, he created a surprise by winning against all odds the primary organized by the Hungarian opposition.
Peter Marki-Zai has since been the leader of a motley coalition, ranging from left to right, including environmentalists.
A coalition united by a single objective: to put an end to Viktor Orban and Fidesz, in power for twelve years.
“
He says we want to cut caregivers,
that we want to send our children to Ukraine to die
.
He keeps lying!
But Orban should be ashamed of using such pathetic tactics
, ”he said on Saturday evening in front of his supporters gathered in Budapest.
Fidesz's stranglehold on institutions and the media is what worries opposition supporters.
A new four-year term for Viktor Orban would be a real disaster in the eyes of this resident of Budapest.
“
They control the TV, the radio, they distort the truth and they misinform the public.
If Orban stays in power, it will only get worse and it will be like in Russia
, ”she fears at the microphone of our special correspondent in Budapest,
Daniel Vallot
.
Fear of fraud
The imbalance of information is indeed flagrant.
Péter Marki Zay was entitled to 5 minutes to speak on public television.
While the television news only talks about the government.
The law also promotes electoral tourism.
Four years ago, members of Viktor Orban's party brought mysterious voters from Romania and Ukraine to vote in Hungary.
Admittedly, international observers (200, under the OSCE) will be on site to follow the election, as well as 20,000 Hungarian volunteers.
But some fraud is hard to see, warns our correspondent in Budapest,
Florence La Bruyère
.
Hundreds of thousands of low-skilled Hungarians live in small provincial villages.
They are often Roma, who carry out works of public interest for the municipality.
Fidesz is the majority in this rural Hungary.
Sometimes it doesn't take much to make Roma understand that if they don't vote for the right party, they risk losing their jobs.
►
Also to listen: In Hungary, the countryside remains a bastion of Viktor Orban
Viktor Orban remains the country's most popular politician.
But if he is re-elected, it won't be just because he lowered taxes.
Despite hardly encouraging polls, the opposition hopes to win this Sunday.
Peter Marki Zay, who has lived in the United States, but also in France, repeated it at the microphone of RFI, after this final campaign meeting.
For this Catholic, a miracle is not impossible.
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Hungary
Victor Orban