Hungary's far-right Jobbik party has held a rally outside the EU representative office in the capital Budapest to protest the bloc's threats to sue the country. At the same time, another rally was held in front of the Parliament in support of premier Viktor Orban's government.

The EU is threatening legal action against Hungary because of a series of new laws seen as threatening the independence of the country's central bank, its judiciary and its national data protection authority.

Jobbik lawmaker and party president leader Gabor Vona on Saturday told protesters that the move was tantamount to a "declaration of war" and that Hungary should leave the EU. Meanwhile, some 1,000 people gathered in front of the Hungarian Parliament at another anti-EU rally.