Hungarian Radical Jobbik Party's Leader Resigns From Parliament

(Bloomberg) -- Gabor Vona, the long-serving President of Hungary’s Jobbik party who oversaw the group’s rise from a radical paramilitary organization and subsequent efforts to shift to a more centrist platform, has resigned and will leave parliamentary politics after a defeat in general elections.

The leadership of Hungary’s largest opposition group accepted Vona’s resignation and will call a congress where he won’t run for re-election after serving 12 years at the helm, the politician said on his Facebook page on Monday. Vona won’t take the mandate he won as top contender on Jobbik’s national list.

Vona is among a handful of opposition politicians who offered to quit after Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban reinforced his status as the leader of Europe’s populist movement by winning a third consecutive two-thirds majority at elections. The Socialist party’s leadership has also resigned as has a co-head of the green LMP group.

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