International press review on the Hungarian election

The 3rd of April marked the day of the parliamentary election in Hungary which brought another victory for Fidesz. The election result was a hot topic not only in the Hungarian press but all over the globe. Viktor Orbán, the re-elected Prime Minister of Hungary, was featured on the front page of CNN. It is not an overstatement to say that the whole world had their eyes on Hungary yesterday. In addition to BBC, Reuters and The Guardian, the Hungarian election was also given a prominent place in the Russian, Ukrainian, Austrian, German and even Indian press.

Hungary made it to US and UK headlines

CNN informs its readers that Fidesz won the election for the fourth time in a row. They call Orbán an authoritarian, pro-Russian leader. They add that many were expecting a tight race, however, Fidesz has managed to strengthen its position even further in the Hungarian Parliament.

In his reelection speech, Orbán called Zelenskiy his opponent,

highlights the US paper. They also mention that the controversial referendum on banning homosexuality and gender-reassignment-related materials intended for minors did not attract enough votes to be considered valid.

The Hungarian election is a hot topic in the UK as well. Sky News writes, “Orbán based his campaign on divisive social and cultural issues, but changed his message after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.”

According to the BBC, Fidesz has undermined Hungary’s democratic institutions.

They call Orbán’s triumph a nationalist victory and highlight that his relationship with the EU has further deteriorated. Reuters writes that Orbán is going to face some tough challenges, for instance, sorting out the country’s dependence on Russian energy. The Guardian focused on the deepening conflict between Zelenskiy and Orbán. While Ukrainians expect more support from their neighbouring country, Hungarians still maintain important business ties with the Russians.

Hungarian election according to the world

Ukrainian Union believes that Orbán will not get into further arguments with Zelenskiy after Brussels and George Soros. According to the Russian press, Orbán managed to choose the right political direction. The Russian news portal Ria Novosti reckons that

the Hungarians made their stand between Russia and Brussels during the election.

In Germany, Der Spiegel writes that Orbán can be in charge as long as Angela Merkel. Focus reports that the big win surprised even Fidesz and their voters. Die Zeit points out that the election was more about the country’s position on the war than the pressing social issues which were mostly swept under the rug. The Hungarian narrative of the war was also highlighted on the pages of the Austrian newspapers, writes index.hu. On the cover of the Deccan Herald in India, Indian PM Narendra Modi congratulated Viktor Orbán and his party on the victory.

• Jobbik leader blames Márky-Zay for defeat
• Orbán: Fidesz secures ‘greatest win even when everyone was against us’

Source: index.hu, CNN