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Hungarian opposition Fidesz biggest winner in European Parliament elections

Other News Materials 8 June 2009 07:13 (UTC +04:00)

Hungary's main opposition party Fidesz won 14 seats or 56.37 percent of votes in Sunday's European Parliament elections, the National Election Committee announced Sunday night, Xinhua reported.
   The governing Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) only won four seats with 17.37 percent of votes. Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik), which is considered a radical nationalist party, won three seats or 14.77 percent of votes. Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) got one seat or 5.3 percent of votes.
   Hungary will have 22 seats on the 736-member legislative assembly of the European Union. The voter turnout was 36.28 percent.
   Hungary's President Laszlo Solyom said Sunday night at the National Elections Center that the results for Sunday's European Parliamentary elections are "clear and undisputable."
   The election result spoke for itself -- Hungary has raised its voice and called for change, the Hungarian News Agency quoted Fidesz leader Viktor Orban as saying on Sunday night.
   "The result demands that the Socialists step aside from the way of change," he said.
   Ildiko Lendvai, the leader of the Socialist party said on Sunday night that the Socialists would continue to govern the country "out of a feeling of responsibility."
   The party's deputy leader Peter Kiss said earlier in the day that the Socialists would continue to back Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai's crisis control program and that early elections were not on the agenda.
   Jobbik leader Gabor Vona said on Sunday that a national front was born and it has won. He said that Jobbik was ready "to take to the streets" to urge early elections in Hungary.
   Krisztina Morvai, who topped Jobbik's European Parliament list, said that Jobbik was committed to supporting ethnic Hungarian communities in neighboring countries in their efforts for autonomy.
   MDF leader Ibolya David said on Sunday her party's success was the "success of honesty and sobriety." She expressed concern over Jobbik's performance in the elections and the extreme rightists gaining ground in Europe.
   Opposition party Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) failed to garner any seat for the European Parliament. The party's leader Gabor Fodor said that he would offer his resignation to the party's board of executives.

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