Challenger to Hungary’s Orbán announces new political alternative to tens of thousands of supporters

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A rising challenger to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has mobilized tens of thousands of supporters and outlined a plan to unite the country and bring an end to the populist leader’s 14-year hold on power. At the center of the Saturday demonstration, the latest in a recent series of protests against Orbán’s right-wing nationalist government, is political newcomer Peter Magyar. He’s a former insider within Hungary’s ruling party who has shot to prominence through his allegations of entrenched corruption and cronyism among the country’s leaders. Magyar addressed a crowd that filled the square near the parliament building in Budapest, saying he wants to unite both conservative and liberal Hungarians disillusioned by Orbán’s governance and the fragmented opposition.