AFP/Budapest
Around 4,000 Hungarians rallied in Budapest on Sunday against Prime Minister Viktor Orban, branding their leader a dictator after his right-wing government passed a highly controversial change to the constitution.
Protesters carried EU and opposition party flags and held banners dubbing the prime minister “Viktator”.
The rally, which was organised by civil group Milla (short for “One Million for Press Freedom in Hungary”), was moved from Friday, Hungary’s national day, when snowstorms paralysed much of the country.
Orban came under fire at home and abroad earlier this week for steering through parliament a constitutional amendment which opponents say contravenes civil rights and accelerates an attack on democratic structures begun by Orban’s party since it came to power in 2010.
Philosopher and activist Gaspar Miklos Tamas said that “the basic components of democracy and constitutionality in Hungary have been broken”.
“Hungarians want to live in a country in which the constitution is a joint work of the constitutional right-wing and the constitutional left-wing,” he said.
The new rules, passed on March 11, curb the powers of Hungary’s top court and reintroduce controversial measures its judges rendered void in recent months.
Tamas said Hungarians should consider a boycott of the next parliamentary elections which are scheduled for early 2014.
The philosopher also called for Hungary’s President Janos Ader to resign after Ader said earlier this week he intends to rubber-stamp the amendment.
Despite this week’s controversy and the shrinking of Hungary’s economy in 2012, Orban’s ruling Fidesz party enjoys a strong lead in opinion polls.
A poll conducted by Median in late February gave Fidesz 41%, ahead of radical nationalist party Jobbik on 19% and the Socialist party on 17%.
The newly-formed Together 2014 party, an alliance of three civil organisations including Milla led by former prime minister Gordon Bajnai, was on 15%.
Orban: under fire.
