Botka resigns as Socialist PM candidate

Laszlo Botka has resigned as the Socialist Party's candidate for prime minister. Explaining the reason for the withdrawal of his candidacy, the Szeged mayor said he had "made a mistake" for thinking the left-wing truly wanted to win the 2018 election. Instead, all they wanted was "to win some opposition seats in the Orban regime's parliament". Botka said that he had also misjudged "how badly the political mafia has infested the democratic opposition", including his own party, adding that he had also "underestimated the vileness of [ruling] Fidesz".