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A shift right
Hungarian election results have made it clear that Hungarians are fed up with their past and are looking for a political change.
On Sunday, April 11, 2010, Hungarians went to the poll for the first round of the national elections. The election results confirm that Hungary’s political landscape has shifted firmly to the right.
As predicted the Fidesz party, representing the centre-right, lead by former Prime Minister (1998-2002) Viktor Orban, won a clear majority with 52.8 percent of the votes.
In turn, the ruling Socialists suffered a humiliating loss. Barely managing to finish in second, they captured only 19.3 percent of the votes.
Two new parties emerged from this election. Both managed to win seats in parliament for the first time, the “Politics can be different” party lead by András Schiffer won 7.4 percent of the votes, and the Jobbik party, a party with extreme right ideologies, lead by Gabor Vona won a surprisingly high 16.7 percent of the votes.
While the first round gives a clear picture of what the new parliament will look like, its final make up won’t be known until April 25, when Hungarians go back to the polls for the second round.
There are still 111 seats to be decided upon via a run-off vote. This vote will take place in 57 constituencies where no candidates got at least 50 percent of the votes during the first round.
Many international observers will be watching this next round carefully and will be paying specific attention to Gabor Vona and his party which is described as being a far right extremist party.
There is some worry that, depending on the outcome of the second round, Orban might seek an ally in Vona during the next parliament. Orban was quick to dismiss this and on Monday he reassured supporters that in this second round he would fight to defend the country from the far right.
What kind of effect will the election outcome have on Hungary?
Ann H.Sontz, executive editor of the Europa Survey, tweets that nationalist movements like that of the Jobbik, “may lead to limits on foreign firms, foreign investments” in the country.
Sontz suggests that the negative press that the Jobbik is giving Hungary will undermine any attempts made by the new government to revitalize the ailing Hungarian economy. This could be considered a real concern at a time when unemployment in Hungary has reached 11 percent.
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