Hungarian Prime Minister re-elected for 4th term, calling Ukraine’s president a rival

Orban’s resounding fourth victory on April 3 over an opposition coalition bolstered support for the 58-year-old leader, at a time when he is losing allies in the country. outside.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (centre) waves to a crowd of cheering supporters after the results of the general election were announced on the evening of April 3. Photo: Reuters

The opening of Russia military offensive in UkraineHungary’s eastern neighbor on February 24 thwarted Mr. Orban’s decades-long efforts to deepen business and political ties with Moscow, and campaigned for war. his appointment to a new route.

The Hungarian Prime Minister’s contrasting stance on European Union (EU) sanctions against Moscow as well as his refusal to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin have alienated him from his Polish and Czech allies. . Still, Orban’s messages of peace seem to resonate with many Hungarians.

The fact that the opposition won only 57 seats in the Hungarian parliament, while the incumbent prime minister’s Fidesz party won 135 seats gave Orban an overwhelming majority in the legislature, allowing him to rewrite the constitution. legislation and major statutes.

In his victory speech to a crowd of supporters in Budapest, Orban called Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky a rival.

CNN quoted Orban as saying: “We scored a victory so big that it can be seen even from the Moon and certainly from Brussels. We will remember this victory for the rest of our lives because of them. We had to fight against a large number of opponents: the local left, the international left, the officials of Brussels, all the money and institutions of the Soros empire (referring to the American billionaire George) Soros – PV), the international mainstream media and the president of Ukraine. We have never had so many opponents at once.”

Mr. Orban emphasized his stance on the crisis Ukraine to protect the military and economic security of Hungary. However, this view is increasingly met with skepticism by his longtime allies in Warsaw, including the leader of Poland’s ruling party Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

In addition to Hungary’s economic downturn due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the challenges facing the Orban government are compounded by the fact that the Central European country imports most of its oil, gas and nuclear energy from Russiaalthough there has been some improvement in energy connectivity with neighboring countries over the past decade.

Tuan Anh