Skip to main content

Orban supporters rally in Hungary pre-election showdown

(ANSA-AFP) - BUDAPEST, 15 MAR - Tens of thousands joined a Budapest rally in support of Hungarian premier Viktor Orban on Sunday, just four weeks before elections that pose an unprecedented challenge to his 16-year rule. Later Sunday, opposition leader Peter Magyar is set to stage a rival march, also in the country's capital, as both Magyar and Orban push allegations of foreign interference in the April 12 elections. While Orban has sought to portray the opposition leader as a "puppet" of Brussels and lately Kyiv, Magyar has accused the Moscow-friendly premier of seeking the Kremlin's help to stay in power. "We will not be a Ukrainian colony," read one of the banners carried in front of the crowd at the pro-Orban "peace march". Hungarians from around the country travelled to the rally on the country's national day -- many using buses rented by a group close to Orban's Fidesz party -- to express their backing of Orban, who is due to address the crowd in front of the parliament. "There is unrest all over the world, and here in our little country we want to preserve peace, calm and security. And Viktor Orban ensures that for us," said Sandorne Pista, 60, who came from the southern university town of Pecs. (ANSA-AFP).

Open Calls

There are no Open Calls at the moment.

In order to stay informed about the open CEI Open Calls submission,
sign up to our newsletter!

For further enquiries, please contact us.