Hungary far-right snatches ruling party seat in by-election
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Hungary's far-right Jobbik party has snatched a parliamentary seat from Prime Minister Viktor Orban's centre-right Fidesz in a by-election in western Hungary on Sunday, preliminary results showed.
Orban, an avid soccer fan, conceded defeat on his Facebook page, saying: "There are times when the ball hits the post."
Even with the narrow defeat, Orban will retain a comfortable majority in parliament, but the result -- the second straight by-election loss for Fidesz in two months -- could be a warning sign after the party won national, local and European elections last year.
With 99 percent of the votes counted, the National Election Office put Jobbik candidate Lajos Rig at 35.3 percent, Fidesz candidate Zoltan Fenyvesi at 34.4 percent and Socialist Ferenc Pad at 26.3 percent.
The parliamentary seat became vacant after the death of Fidesz lawmaker Jeno Lasztovicza in January.
