Democratic Coalition

Peter Marki-Zay, the conservative mayor of Hodmezovasarhely and leader of the joint opposition. Photo: Facebook

Peter Marki-Zay, the mayor of Hodmezovasarhely, speaks at an anti-government protest in downtown Budapest, Hungary, 01 May 2018. EPA-EFE/ZOLTAN BALOGH The candidates

Hungarian politician Klara Dobrev, 49, whose father is Bulgarian, proved to be a major candidate in the opposition's attempt to oust Prime Minister Viktor Orban in next year's elections. This is shown by the partial results of today's internal elections, Reuters and BNR reported.

If the parliamentary vote succeeds, Klara Dobrev could become the country's first female prime minister.

Hungary survived the spring wave of the virus virtually unscathed, with very low casualties, though at a high economic price. Polls in the summer showed that Fidesz actually increased its support by 5 per cent, or 400,000 voters. However, it all fell apart in the autumn, when voters found the government's response to the second, more serious wave wonting.

To escape the police, the 59-year-old politician had apparently jumped out of a window and tried to flee along the gutter, though was spotted by a passer-by and subsequently apprehended by the police. Ecstasy pills were found in his rucksack, but he declared to have no knowledge of them.

The presidents of the opposition parties - including the liberal Democratic Coalition, the Socialists, the young emerging Momentum, the leftist-liberal Dialogue, the greenish LMP and the former radical rightist Jobbik - have agreed to nominate only one candidate in each of the 106 individual constituencies.

Police in Hungary on Wednesday at 6am detained an opposition politician, János Csóka-Szűcs, in Gyula, a small town in Békés County, the media outlet Magyar Narancs reported.

Csóka-Szűcs is the local leader of an opposition movement called the Kossuth Circle and a supporting member of the Momentum party.

Fidesz campaign manager Lajos Kosa explained his party's disappointing results with the telling words: "Democracy still exists in Hungary."

Gellert Rajcsanyi, editor of conservative weekly Mandiner — which belongs to the government-funded Central European Press and Media Foundation — went further.

A bill outlining a new scheme for the settlement of debts to the state, social security funds and local authorities in up to 120 instalments will be introduced to the main Parliament chamber on Monday afternoon.

During its debate in the Parliament's committees, the government and the opposition agreed to fast-track the procedure, which means the bill will be voted on on Tuesday.

The Greek Parliament decided on Wednesday that the Constitutional Revision Committee, the body responsible for examining the government's proposed amendments to the Constitution, will deliver its report on January 15.