Mass anti-Orban demonstration held in Hungary
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 15 April 2018 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Mass anti-Orban demonstration held in Hungary, 15 April 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b20ddc4a.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Last Updated: April 15, 2018 10:57 GMT
Tens of thousands of Hungarians protested in Budapest on April 14 against what organizers said was an unfair election system that gave Prime Minister Viktor Orban a landslide victory at the polls.
Orban was reelected for a third term on April 8 after his anti-immigration campaign message secured a strong majority for his ruling Fidesz party in parliament.
Under the motto "We are the Majority," the protesters called for a recount of the votes in the country's election, a change to the electoral law, and the protection of press freedom.
Critics accuse Orban of dismantling democracy in Hungary and repressing the independent media.
He's been also accused of being too accommodating to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Orban has promised that his new government will pass a series of laws restricting the work of independent nongovernmental organizations and penalizing organizations supporting migrants.
Many of the demonstrators were chanting "democracy" and brandishing Hungarian and European Union flags.
Following Orban's election, the European Union called on Hungary to help defend the bloc's values.
"The EU is a union of democracies and values," European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said last week, adding that the defense of these values is a "common duty of all member states, without exception."
Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
