Hungarian Opposition Begins to Coordinate Before Vote

(Bloomberg) -- Hungarian opposition parties began coordinating in some key electoral districts as they tried to resuscitate a push to beat Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party in Sunday's elections.

The Socialists, the second-most popular opposition force, and Lehet Mas a Politika, a smaller green group, agreed tentatively to withdraw candidates to give each other better chances in four districts, Index news website reported Tuesday. While an all-encompassing alliance looks out of reach, the Socialists agreed to cooperate with Demokratikus Koalicio, led by former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, and there've been other pacts among candidates.

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With Fidesz supported by as many voters as the opposition combined, cooperation would be needed in dozens of Hungary's 106 individual electoral districts for a chance to deny Orban a fourth term in office. A large majority of opposition voters would be in favor of their parties making concessions to other groups to achieve that, a separate Median poll published by Index showed. More voters want Orban to go than to stay, according to a survey by Zavecz Research carried out in March.

Talks about forming such a broad alliance have faltered so far, with Jobbik, the strongest opposition group, going it alone and left-wing parties bickering among themselves. Fidesz, meanwhile, is taking no chances, occupying some of Jobbik's former ideological territory on the far right by ratcheting up anti-immigrant and anti-diversity rhetoric in the final stretch of the campaign.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andras Gergely in Budapest at agergely@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Scott Rose at rrose10@bloomberg.net, Michael Winfrey, Paul Abelsky

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