HUNGARY: Hungary's governing Socialists and their allies renewed their coalition yesterday ahead of a second round of general elections, but the centre-right Fidesz opposition failed to woo a conservative party that could boost its slim chances of victory.
Sunday's first round of voting gave the Socialists and their Free Democrat partners 113 seats in the 386-seat parliament, while Fidesz took 97 seats and the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) claimed two.
On April 23rd, voting will take place again in 110 constituencies where no candidate won an outright majority, and 64 further seats will be allocated proportionally according to each party's overall support across the country of 10 million people.
As the main parties resumed their campaigns with rallies in Budapest, Fidesz said it must win 75 of those 110 seats to oust the Socialists, a daunting task that was made even harder by the MDF's rejection of any alliance.
MDF leader Ibolya David said she had earlier offered Fidesz the chance of coalition talks, on the proviso that she became its candidate for premier.
"There was a chance that if they supported our candidate, there could be coalition talks," Ms David said.
"But that was weeks ago, I don't see a chance for that now. We will not deceive those who voted for us because they expect a true conservative path from us," she said, lambasting Fidesz for spouting populist rhetoric and spending pledges that would bloat an already huge budget deficit.
But Fidesz leader Viktor Orban (42), the prime minister from 1998-2002 who faces an uncertain political future if defeated, insisted that the election could still be won.
"I tell everybody who wants to vote for change in Hungary that we have a realistic chance of victory," he declared.
"I urge everybody to take this last step." Mr Orban calls the government "limousine socialists" who only care for the elite. He has promised lower taxes, better services and an "economic patriotism" that he says is lacking in prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany.
Victory for Mr Gyurcsany (44), a former communist youth leader and millionaire tycoon, would make him the first premier to retain power in Hungary since democracy was restored in 1989.