Stinging defeat for Orban's party in local Hungary vote

Budapest (AFP) - Hungary's ruling party suffered a shock defeat in a local by-election on Sunday, spelling potential challenges ahead for Prime Minister Viktor Orban with only weeks to go before a general election.

Orban, known for his fierce anti-migrant, populist rhetoric, will seek a third consecutive term in an election on April 8.

Earlier this month, he branded the opposition as out of touch and "hopeless", but Sunday's triumph for Peter Marki-Zay in key constituency Hodmezovasarhely may yet prove him wrong.

Marki-Zay, who ran as an independent but enjoyed the backing of the full spectrum of the opposition, won 57.5 percent of the votes, against 41.5 percent for ruling party Fidesz candidate Zoltan Hegedus, with 92 percent of the votes counted.

Analysts view the battle for Hodmezovasarhely, a small town in southern Hungary, as a bellwether for the national voting mood.

The result was a major shock for Fidesz's supporters, particularly because Hodmezovasarhely is home to key Orban ally Janos Lazar, who heads the prime minister's office. In the last local election in 2014, Fidesz won with 61 percent of votes.  

Source: Yahoo News