Hungary PM Orban Re-Elected With Strong Mandate

Viktor Orban

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed a landslide victory in Sunday’s parliamentary election after campaigning on an anti-immigration platform.

The 54-year-old will serve a third consecutive term in office, with his party Fidesz projected to keep its key two-thirds majority in parliament.

The election produced a turnout of around 70%, exceeding the past three elections.

According to preliminary results with 85% of votes counted, National Election Office data projected Fidesz to win 133 seats, a two-thirds majority in the 199-seat parliament.

Nationalist Jobbik was projected to win 26 seats, while the Socialists were projected as third with 20 seats.

Two smaller leftist parties, DK and LMP, won nine and eight seats respectively.

The victory could embolden Orban to put more muscle into a Central European alliance against the European Union’s migration policies.

Orban, Hungary’s longest-serving post-communist leader, opposes deeper integration of the EU and – teaming up with Poland – has been a fierce critique of Brussels’ policies.

With his firm grip on state media and his business allies in control of regional newspapers, Orban’s message was amplified in the countryside.

Many people there only watch the state television news channel, which has shown immigrants causing trouble in western European cities night after night.





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