Shock defeat for Hungary’s PM Viktor Orbán as EU critic’s party loses byelection

Mr Orbán, known for his anti-establishment and anti-migrant stance, is seeking a third consecutive term on election day on April 8.

Earlier this month he branded the opposition in last night’s byelection as “hopeless” and out of touch.

But the independent candidate Peter Marki-Zay, who is backed by the full spectrum of Hungary’s opposition, won the vote in the key constituency of Hódmezővásárhely by a comfortable margin.

Mr Marki-Zay had 57.5% of the votes compared to 41.5% for Mr Orbán’s Fidesz party candidate Zoltan Hegedus after 92% of the votes had been counted.

The byelection in Hódmezővásárhely was viewed as bellwhether for the national mood.

The result is a shock in the southern city that is home to the key Orbán ally Janos Lazar, who heads the prime minister’s office.

Fidesz won the last local election there in 2014 with 61% of the votes.

Hungarian leading news site Index.hu wrote: ““This victory holds several lessons.

“While this victory does not endanger the probable triumph of Fidesz, it will certainly change the mood of the country in the final weeks before the election.”

The Fidesz party has been polling at roughly 50%, but a corruption scandal involving Orbán’s son-in-law, and an alleged government cover-up of refugee intake numbers has posed problems for them ahead of the election.

Mr Orbán’s party is still predicted to win but it is thought his majority could be trimmed and his grip on power loosened.

The Hungarian leader’s shock defeat came after he set up himself for a tense showdown with EU chiefs.

Mr Orbán delivered a fiery speech in which he demanded a massive refund from the bloc’s coffers.

A longtime critic of the EU, he claims that Hungary deserves a nearly half a billion euros refund from Brussels for money they have spent on border protection.

Mr Orbán said: It’s time to start substantial negotiations on money. We’ve spent over €1 billion on border protection.

“We’re not only protecting ourselves, but Europe as well. At least half of this sum should be reimbursed.”

Hungary’s prime minister has also proposed a scheme that would increase the role of national parliaments and sovereignty in EU-decision making.

He proposed a “red card procedure” that would give national parliaments to “stop debates” in Europe” if they perceive them to be a threat to their national interests.

Earlier in February he launched his general election campaign by lashing out at Brussels, Germany and France.

He accused their leaders of being a danger to Hungary and predicted a split between eastern and western Europe.

Mr Orbán has been a thorn in the side of the bloc with his outspoken views on the EU’s economic and border policies.

He said Europe faces a critical fissure between nation states of the east and the west, which he called an “immigrant zone, a mixed population world that heads in a direction different from ours”

In a speech to his party faithful at the foot of the Royal Castle in Budapest, he appeared to try to pitch himself as the saviour of Europe’s Christian nations.

He raged: “Christianity is Europe’s last hope.”