Orbán’s right-wing, nationalist Fidesz is seeking a third consecutive term in parliamentary elections, campaigning with a fierce anti-immigrant message, coupled with increased spending on wage rises and promising more money to pensioners.
But preliminary results showed Péter Márki-Zay, a political novice, beating Zoltán Hegedűs with 57.5% of the vote against 41.6% at the election for mayor of the southern town of Hódmezővásárhely, a Fidesz party stronghold.
“We stood up and Hódmezővásárhely has shown that we want to get rid of the big boys bullying the whole class,” Márki-Zay told a news conference, drawing a big round of applause, with one of his children standing by his side.
“A new era has begun today,” he said, adding that public opinion polls showing a dominant Fidesz lead “could be thrown into the garbage bin.”
With six weeks left before a parliamentary election, the outcome is an embarrassment for Orbán’s Fidesz party and Hódmezővásárhely native János Lázár, Orbán’s chief of staff, who had personally campaigned in favour of Hegedus.
Orbán’s Fidesz is still a strong favorite at the April 8 election, but a political analyst said Sunday’s result could change dynamics within the opposition, which had thus far struggled to mount any serious challenge.
Márki-Zay ran as an independent, but was backed by the Socialists, radical nationalist party Jobbik, the main opposition party, as well as LMP, a small liberal party.
“This (result) has a sweeping psychological significance,” said political analyst Róbert László at think tank Political Capital.
“It shows that Fidesz is beatable even in a place like this and the result could jolt opposition parties into action and rethinking their strategies.”
At 62.4%, turnout was higher than expected, surpassing even the 58.8% at the previous parliamentary election four years ago.
The leftist opposition has been in a disarray since the resignation of their candidate for prime minister, László Botka, in October.
Jobbik has been trying to lure voters by projecting a more moderate, centrist image.
Orbán, who has clashed repeatedly with European Union authorities over reforms affecting the judiciary and the media, has presided over a downward slide in the global corruption rankings, watchdog Transparency International said on Tuesday.