Hungary's six-party opposition alliance leads the ruling Fidesz party by 4% as they prepare for a general election next year, according to an opinion poll published by ZRI Zavecz Research late on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban will, for the first time, face a united front of diverse opposition parties in the election, likely to be held in April, that includes the Democratic Coalition, the Socialists, liberals and the formerly far-right, and now centre-right, Jobbik.
The poll, conducted between Oct. 11 and Oct. 19 and published by the Telex.hu newes site, showed that support for Fidesz dropped to 35% from 37% recorded in September, while the opposition alliance increased its support to 39% from 38%. Some 23% of people said they had no party preference.
This month, opposition parties held a primary election to pick their prime ministerial candidate and they now have a single joint candidate against Fidesz in each of Hungary's 106 constituencies.
A second round of the primary vote mobilised more than 650,000 opposition voters to cast their vote, with Peter Marki-Zay, a small-town conservative mayor with no party affiliation emerging as the leader of the opposition alliance.
The poll, conducted between Oct. 11 and Oct. 19 and published by the Telex.hu newes site, showed that support for Fidesz dropped to 35% from 37% recorded in September, while the opposition alliance increased its support to 39% from 38%. Some 23% of people said they had no party preference.
This month, opposition parties held a primary election to pick their prime ministerial candidate and they now have a single joint candidate against Fidesz in each of Hungary's 106 constituencies.
A second round of the primary vote mobilised more than 650,000 opposition voters to cast their vote, with Peter Marki-Zay, a small-town conservative mayor with no party affiliation emerging as the leader of the opposition alliance.