DK backs journalist Olga Kalman as Budapest mayor candidate

Journalist and television personality Olga Kalman has announced her bid to become Budapest mayor in the upcoming local election as an independent candidate with support from leftist Democratic Coalition (DK). Kalman and DK MEP-elect Klara Dobrev announced Kalman's candidacy at a press conference on Thursday. Dobrev said they had already notified Socialist-Parbeszed candidate Gergely Karacsony, to whom DK had earlier pledged support. Answering a question, Dobrev said that DK's agreement with Karacsony had ensured DK's support for the first round of the pre-election of opposition candidates. All parties would want "a really exciting political debate," she said, adding that the decision would not affect DK's agreements with other opposition parties at district level. She also confirmed that DK would back the winner of the second round of the pre-election, in the autumn elections.