Topline
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán—who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and is widely considered an authoritarian nationalist—claimed to win his fourth straight election on Sunday, according to CNN and the Associated Press, as his Fidesz party leads a coalition of opposition groups in preliminary vote-counting.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban acknowledges cheering supporters during an election night … [+]
Key Facts
Fidesz had secured 53% of all votes tallied as of Sunday night, compared to the 34% earned by a group of opposition parties, with 91% of all ballots counted, according to results released by Hungary’s national election office and published by the AP.
If Fidesz is deemed the winner, Orbán will extend his run as the longest-serving leader in the European Union.
“We won a victory so big that you can see it from the moon, and you can certainly see it from Brussels,” Orbán said in a victory speech Sunday, according to the AP—likely referring to his administration’s tensions with other EU leaders.
Orbán’s opponents have accused him of unfair pre-election tactics, including allegedly using Hungary’s Covid-19 vaccination website to send out false claims that his political adversaries were aiming to bring Hungary into Russia’s war with Ukraine, according to the New York Times.
Key Background
Orbán has served as Hungary’s prime minister since 2010. He has staunchly opposed immigration and implemented policies limiting the rights of LGBTQ+ people—most recently pledging in a speech to “stop at Hungary’s border the gender insanity sweeping across the Western world.” A vocal supporter of what he calls “illiberal democracy,” Orbán has also been accused of leading a turn toward authoritarianism in Hungary, attempting to expand his own power over Hungary’s government, election system, civil society and news media. Trump gave Orbán his “complete support and endorsement” in January, claiming he’d done a “wonderful job in protecting Hungary, stopping illegal immigration.” Orbán has also sought a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and has strayed from other EU countries by not committing to send weapons to Ukraine, though Hungary has supported many of Europe’s sanctions against Russia.
Tangent
Hungary has accepted the fourth-most Ukrainian refugees of any country following Russia’s invasion, welcoming more than 385,000 displaced people since February 24, according to the United Nations. Orbán’s government claimed last month it had accepted 540,000 Ukrainians, but a Hungarian non-governmental organization accused the country of inflating the figures in an attempt to claim more EU funds, according to the Guardian.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2022/04/03/viktor-orbn-right-wing-hungarian-leader-endorsed-by-trump-declares-reelection-victory/