Hungarian parliament elects Viktor Orban prime minister

World
Europe

Viktor Orban was re-elected as Hungary's Prime Minister by parliament on Thursday, starting a third consecutive and a fourth overall term as leader of Hungary.

Last month, a landslide election victory gave his Fidesz party a two-thirds majority in the legislature.

Orban, 54, a maverick right-wing leader, has put Hungary back on a sound financial footing with sweeping economic reforms after the global financial crisis.

Among the 199-seat National Assembly, the only house of the Hungarian parliament, Orban received 134 votes in favor and 28 against. To be elected, the prime minister needs more than half of the deputies' votes. MSZP (Socialist) and LMP deputies did not attend the session, arguing that the opposition MPs would not have the option to react to Orban's speech.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (C front) is applauded by MPs as he takes the oath for a third straight term as Hungarian prime minister, May 10, 2018, at the Parliament in Budapest. /VCG Photo

Orban took an oath in front of the historical flags of Hungary.

In his speech, Orban said, "my government is based on a majority of two-thirds, but I will work for the three-thirds."

"Now we have the chance to start new and big things, everything is together for executing big plans: international prestige, experience, self-confidence, life force," he added.

Hungarian President Janos Ader on Monday officially called on Viktor Orban, the candidate for prime minister of the Fidesz-KDNP party alliance, to form the new government following the general elections on April 8.

The Fidesz-KDNP party alliance won the general elections by a large margin, securing 133 seats in the 199-seat parliament.

Source(s): Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency