Mass protests continue in Hungary against Orban government

Mass protests continue in Hungary against Orban government
At least 100,000 people turn up at anti-government rally in Budapest
By bne IntelliNews April 23, 2018

Hungarian anti-government demonstrators filled the streets of Budapest for a second straight weekend on April 21, protesting for press freedom and against the government's anti-civil society actions. But keynote speakers also blamed disunity among opposition parties for the Fidesz party's resounding victory in the April 8 election.  

Organised as a follow-up to last week’s demonstration, the event "2.0 We are the majority! – Another protest for democracy" drew an estimated 100,000 people, a strong crowd given the unseasonably warm weather in the capital.

The anti-government rallies of the past eight days have been organised by people with no declared party affiliations. The peaceful weekend march attracted a mixed though mainly younger crowd, covering all political sides from Jobbik to Democratic Coalition (DK) to Politics Can Be Different (LMP) supporters. 

There is widespread discontent among leftist, liberal and liberal-conservative voters against opposition parties, who they feel have betrayed them. Voters of all stripes blame politicians for failing to field a single candidate in each of Hungary's 106 individual districts, which would have prevented Viktor Orban's party from winning a landslide election for a third straight time and retaining a supermajority in parliament. 

During last week's protest, speakers called for a recount as many irregularities were reported. They also criticised the new electoral system, as present rules were adopted to favour the incumbent Fidesz party. On Saturday, speakers focused on the need for critical thinkers to actively resist the government's actions.  

There is fear Fidesz will use its two-thirds supermajority to crack down further on NGOs, as it plans to pass the so-called "Stop Soros" legislation in the first days of the spring session scheduled for May 8. The embattled Open Society Foundations of Hungarian-born billionaire philanthropist George Soros are planning to exit Budapest, for Berlin.

Apart from targeting civil society, voters also fear Orban aims to stifle the the independence of the judicial system. There are reports that the National Judicial Office (OBH), which oversees Hungary's courts and appoints judges, will be taken over by the Ministry of Justice, thus tightening direct government control.

Hodmezovasarhely mayor blames opposition parties

The keynote speaker at the event was Peter Marki-Zay, the mayor of Hodmezovasarhely who was recently elected in a stunning by-election victory. Running as an independent candidate backed by all opposition parties, Marky-Zay had been the most vocal advocate of a full-scale and wide-ranging cooperation of opposition parties from the left to the right.

"You are the new opposition, no party has as many members as those who support the protest,” Marky-Zay told the crowd after slamming opposition parties for failing to effectively join forces against Orban. 

The Hungarian people deserved an opposition that conceived of a future without “Asian dictators”, he said, referring to Orban's increasing isolation and ties with authoritarian leaders from the East.

Organisers plan another mass demonstration for May 8, the day that the new parliament convenes and the new Fidesz-led government is appointed.

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