Orban Holds Major Rally in Show of Force Ahead of EU Vote
- Hungary leader looking to regain the initiative after scandals
- Premier seeks to limit upstart politician Peter Magyar’s gains
Fidesz and KDNP supporters in Budapest on June 1.
Photographer: Gergely Besenyei/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Tens of thousands of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s supporters gathered in Budapest in a show of force for the nationalist leader ahead of local and European Union elections marked by the emergence of a potent competitor.
Orban’s backers walked along the Danube River on Saturday and then out to the capital’s Margaret Island, where the five-term premier sought to galvanize his voters a week before elections. Hungary holds local government and European Parliament ballots simultaneously on June 9.