Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister (PM) Viktor Orbán secured a fourth consecutive term in office after defeating the six-party alliance of opposition leader Péter Márki-Zay at parliamentary elections on Sunday.
The National Election Office confirmed that Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP alliance had acquired 135 seats, with 53.10% of the total votes, keeping its two-thirds majority in the parliament. Márki-Zay’s United for Hungary alliance, meanwhile, formed the opposition with 56 seats after garnering 35.04% of the votes. Additionally, the far-right Our Homeland (Mi Hazánk) party got 7 seats. The total voter turnout was recorded at 69.47%.
Orbán’s Fidesz party contested the election with its longtime ally, the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP), forming a right-wing conservative alliance that has a longstanding record of opposing the European Union (EU) and its policies regarding immigration and LGBTQ rights. Orbán also warded off criticism over his decision to maintain relations with Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Hungary is one of the few EU countries that has refused to sanction Russian energy imports and the only one of Ukraine’s neighbours that has declined to supply military aid to the country.
Ahead of the elections, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky singled out Orbán by saying, “He is virtually the only one in Europe to openly support Mr. Putin.” However, after his victory, Orbán dismissed this as an attempt by international actors such as “the international left all around, the Brussels bureaucrats, the Soros empire with all its money, [and] the international mainstream media” to undermine his rule.
In his victory speech, Orbán said, “We have won a victory so great that it can be seen from the moon, but certainly from Brussels.” He continued to take aim at the EU, saying, “We should tell Brussels that this is not the past, but the future.”
However, pro-EU Márki-Zay claimed that the election was an “unequal and an unfair fight” because “the system” was rigged in favour of Fidesz, adding, “It was propaganda that won the election, not honesty and honour.” Nevertheless, he declared that the opposition will continue to strive to fight for people whose rights are attacked by Fidesz.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Europe’s security and human rights regulator, sent a full monitoring mission for the vote in Hungary on April 3—a rare occurrence for an EU member state’s election. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, there was little to no sign of widespread irregularities in this year’s election. The OSCE is slated to make public its finding and conclusions later today.
Serbia
Serbia’s incumbent President, Aleksandar Vučić, also claimed victory in the country’s presidential election against retired army general Zdravko Ponos. Vučić secured almost 60% of the votes while his primary opponent, Ponos, received 17.1%.
In the parliamentary elections, Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) received 43.4% of the votes while Ponos’ United for Victory alliance obtained 13.6%; the Socialist Party of Serbia, a longtime alliance partner of SNS, came third with 11.4%. Based on these results, which account for 80% of polling, the SNS should obtain 125 out of 250 seats in the parliament. The Republic Election Commission (RIK) estimated the voter turnout to be about 58%. 
In his victory speech, Vučić hailed his unprecedented victory by saying, “I am the only one who [has] won presidential elections twice in the first round,” adding that he has received even greater support in his second term. The Serbian leader said that his government will ensure “stability, tranquillity and peace” in the country. He further declared that “Serbia will try to preserve friendly and partnership relations in many areas with the Russian Federation” while maintaining a policy of “military neutrality” over the Ukraine war—a policy he claimed was important to the United States (US) and Europe.
Serbia signed the United Nations (UN) resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but has refused to impose any sanctions on Moscow or place any limits on Russian energy imports. Belgrade sees Moscow as a strategic ally, as it continues to back Serbia’s claims on Kosovo, a partially recognised de-facto state.
In fact, the Serbian elections took place against the backdrop of rising tensions between the governments in Serbia and Kosovo. Prior to the elections, Vučić accused his Kosovan counterpart Albin Kurti of sparking war by suppressing the voting rights of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija. France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom (UK), and the US criticised Kurti’s decision, underscoring that such behaviour could undermine Pristina’s European aspirations.
Orbán and Vučić Secure Re-Election in Hungary and Serbia
Both Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić have been criticised for their close ties to Russia.
April 4, 2022
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán won a fourth consecutive term. IMAGE SOURCE: EPA