Tens of thousands turn out to back challenger to Hungary’s Orban

People gather in Budapest, Hungary, in support of Peter Magyar (Justin Spike/AP)

A rising challenger to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban mobilised tens of thousands of supporters in Hungary’s capital on Saturday, outlining a plan to unite the country and bring an end to the populist leader’s 14-year hold on power.

At the centre of the demonstration, the latest in a recent series of protests against Mr Orban’s right-wing nationalist government, was political newcomer Peter Magyar, a former insider within Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party who has shot to prominence in recent weeks through his allegations of entrenched corruption and cronyism among the country’s leaders.