Hungarians protest against tax overhaul

Wednesday's rally again gathered outside parliament before protesters chanting "We've had enough!" marched to a main square in central Budapest, blocking traffic.

Re-elected in April, Orban is facing his toughest challenge since taking power in a 2010 landslide, with inflation at a two-decade high, the forint at record lows and European Union funds in limbo amid a dispute over democratic standards.

On Wednesday his government ordered an export ban on fuels like gas and scrapped a years-long cap on utility prices for higher-usage households, rolling back one of the 59-year-old prime minister's signature economic policies.

The measure will sharply increase electricity and gas prices for households using more energy than average consumption levels.