The leader of the Hungarian Civic Party, Viktor Orban, is beginning talks with other party leaders to put together a governing coalition following his party's victory in the general election last month.

Mr Orban had a meeting withPresident Arpad Goencz shortly after the final results were declared on Tuesday, putting the Civic Party fourteen seats ahead of the Socialists.

Today Mr Orban is expected to meet the leader of the right-wing Smallholders Party, which came third in the election.

He says he expects to be able to form a government in the next three weeks.

Meanwhile, the outgoing prime minister, Gyula Horn, has confirmed he is to step down as leader of the Socialists.