(ANSA) - BUDAPEST, MAY 15 - The mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karacsony, has launched his challenge to Viktor Orban by announcing his intention to lead an alliance of the opposition to defeat the sovereign prime minister in next year's elections.
"At the end of a long reflection, I have decided that I will present myself in the opposition primary as candidate premier," said the 45-year-old in a video posted on Facebook.
"I feel that Hungary is in trouble, our country is divided.
I would like to reunite Hungary," said Karacsony who has already defeated Orban in 2019 in the elections in the capital.
The mayor of Budapest has an excellent chance of winning the primary, whose first round will be held from 18 to 26 September.
Three of the six opposition parties have already announced that they will support it. And the latest polls show that the coalition has a slight advantage over Orban's powerful party.
Since 2010, Fidesz has won three consecutive parliamentary super majorities, partly thanks to the decision of the opposition parties to run separately. Last year, the alliance - which includes left-wing, liberal and right-wing parties - announced that it will join forces to have a single candidate against Fidesz in all 106 electoral districts.
(HANDLE).
