Liberátion.fr: Hungary: Opposition wakes up to Orbán

Our Martin Michelot talked to the Liberátion.fr web about Hungary Opposition awakening up to Orbán

Yet the Prime Minister's party remains largely dominant in rural areas and small towns, Orbán claims that it has retained the majority of votes throughout Hungary. "The loss of Budapest and the strong mobilization of citizens in the cities against the Fidesz are in themselves a defeat. But these results must be put into the national context," explains Martin Michelot, deputy director of the think tank Europeum and associate researcher at the Jacques-Delors Institute.​​​

Despite these electoral gains, the opposition's strike force remains limited. Mayors do not have much decision-making power and the Hungarian media remain largely controlled by relatives of the Prime Minister. "The heart of Viktor Orbán's power is the control of the oligarchy, the distribution of large economic markets to his allies," says Martin Michelot. All this will not be affected by the loss of the town halls."​​

Youn can read the whole article here. 

Martin Michelot
Senior Associate Research Fellow

Expertise: NATO and transatlantic security, European foreign policy and defense, French politics, elections and society, Visegrad Four and Central Europe, EU institutional issues