Local elections in Hungary: opposition takes Orban's Fidesz party Mayor post in Budapest

The congratulations came in the evening: Opposition candidate Gergely Karacsony clearly defeated former incumbent Istvan Tarlos at the mayoral election in the Hungarian capital Budapest.

At a count of almost 89 percent of the vote Karacsony could collect about 50 percent of the votes, the acting since 2010 Istvan Tarlos of the right-national ruling party Fidesz came to about 45 percent.

A spokesman for Karacsony said Tarlos had congratulated his 44-year-old challenger by phone. "The government respects the decision of the citizens of Budapest," a government spokesman told local media.

In other cities, too, the opposition, mostly in broad, left-to-right alliances, wrestled government posts from the government. For example, in Miskolc, Pecs and Dunaujvaros opposition politicians defeated the respective Fidesz mayors, given that the count was already meaningful.

The results are a blow to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Fidesz, who has been in power since 2010. The opposition accuses him of authoritarian and corrupt administration.

In Hungary, eight million citizens were called in more than 3,000 communities to elect mayors and community representatives. The opposition has put together a joint candidate in major cities to stand up to the Fidesz party of the right-wing national prime minister.