Viktor Orban, Hungary's authoritarian leader and longtime Russian friend won a landslide election victory on Sunday, claiming victory as a rebuke to liberalism, the European Union, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Despite predictions of a tight election, Orban's Fidesz party strengthened its position in Parliament. It received 53 percent of the vote, with practically all ballots counted, giving it a commanding lead over a unified coalition of opposition parties.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia dominated the election campaign, putting Orban's long friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin under scrutiny. Orban mentioned Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky as one of the "opponents" he faced during the campaign in his victory speech.
Hungary is mainly reliant on Russian energy. Orban has shied away from opportunities to condemn Putin's aggression against his neighbor, hampering the EU's efforts to show a united front against him. According to a Kremlin official, Putin congratulated Orban on his victory, saying, "Despite the difficult world circumstances, the continuing growth of bilateral partnership fully fulfills the interests of Russia and Hungary."
Despite facing a more organized opposition than in previous elections, Orban's Fidesz party won convincingly across much of the country. Even in his own district, where he had served as mayor, opposition leader Peter Marki-Zay was defeated.
This relates to me as I am close friends with Hungarian students here on campus who still have family, and they are pretty sad that the leader was elected again. Many Hungarians were crushed after the results because of the poor treatment happening there.
Jake Moore
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/03/europe/hungary-election-results-viktor-orban-intl/index.html
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