Hungary: Viktor Orban wins third consecutive term

Budapest, Hungary – All day long, Hungarians queued, sometimes for several hours, to cast their ballot in Sunday’s high-stake parliamentary elections. The record level of turnout (around 70%) forced some polling stations to stay open until late and drove many commentators to speculate on an outcome that looked increasingly uncertain. But when the results were finally announced, no room was left for doubt: the Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a landslide victory, securing a third consecutive term – and fourth overall – as Hungary’s Prime minister.

With 48.9% of the votes and 133 seats at the National Assembly (out of 199), the Fidesz-KDNP alliance secures its constitutional super-majority. The opposition lags far behind: Jobbik, a far-right radical movement which transitioned into a more mainstream conservative party in recent years, wins 19.8% of the votes (26 seats).

The Socialist coalition comes third (12.4%, 20 seats). Both party leaders have already announced their resignation in the wake of their defeat. Only two other parties (DK and LMP) reached the legal threshold of 5% required to hold seats at the National Assembly.

Viktor Orbán’s triumph is unequivocal. His virulent nationalistic, Eurosceptic and anti-immigration stance strongly resonated in rural Hungary’s deep-rooted fears, while the country’s urban youth, according to preliminary estimations, overwhelmingly voted for the opposition.

Addressing his supporters on Sunday night, Budapest’s strongman said his victory gives Hungarians “the opportunity to defend themselves and to defend Hungary”, thus staying faithful to his campaign rhetoric. All over Europe, many people are still in shock, fearing his landslide reelection for a third term in power might just have handed Orban the legitimacy he needed to lead Hungary on an ever-more nationalistic and autocratic path.