Sex video scandal engulfs Orban on eve of election
>>BUDAPEST: A video of one of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s allies participating in an orgy on a luxury yacht is giving an unexpected boost to Hungary’s opposition, which was looking to chip away at the illiberal leader’s dominance in yesterday’s nationwide municipal elections.
A strong showing by the parties, particularly in the capital Budapest, could give them momentum against Mr Orban for the 2022 parliamentary ballot. Failure to reclaim some big cities despite joining their forces the first time would point to a likely fifth term for the premier, one of the most prominent populists in the European Union.
Opposition parties, which have lost seven nationwide elections since Mr Orban returned to power in 2010, have generated some momentum in the campaign finish from a video published last week showing the mayor of Gyor, western Hungary’s largest city, participating in an orgy on a yacht along with his associates. The footage jarred against the conservative family values the ruling party projects across its powerful media networks and ubiquitous billboards.
Zsolt Borkai, the Gyor mayor, has issued an apology, though he denied using drugs or relying on public funds to finance his trips. Opposition parties seized on the video, with the Momentum party plastering Fidesz’s offices with posters saying “Public funds, cocaine, whores” to contrast with the ruling party’s slogan of “God, nation, family”.