Former Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has secured another term as leader of the opposition Fidesz party, months after suffering a major electoral defeat that ended his 16-year dominance of Hungarian politics.Delegates backed Orban at the party’s congress on Saturday, reaffirming their support despite growing questions over his political future.Near-unanimous support at party CongressAccording to Hungary’s state news agency MTI, 729 of 737 delegates voted in favour of re-electing Orban, who was the sole candidate for the position, Al Jazeera cited.Addressing party members before the vote, the 62-year-old leader dismissed speculation about retirement, declaring that he had no intention of leaving politics.From governing power to opposition forceOrban acknowledged that the party must adapt to its new role after years in power.He described Fidesz as an effective governing force but said it now needed to transform into a strong opposition capable of challenging the government in future elections.Fidesz was defeated in April by Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s centre-right, pro-Western Tisza party, which secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority. The victory gave Magyar’s government enough seats to begin dismantling constitutional and institutional changes introduced during Orban’s tenure.
