Hungary's anti-migration prime minister secures 3rd consecutive term

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán won his third consecutive term on Sunday, with his party, Fidesz, expected to take 133 of parliament's 199 seats.

The party used anti-migration rhetoric throughout the campaign, and in his victory speech, Orbán declared: "We won. We gave ourselves a chance to protect Hungary." Under Hungary's electoral system, a party can win a large majority of seats without winning a majority of the vote, and if Fidesz does get a supermajority, they would be able to make constitutional changes.

Orbán began his political career as a liberal but is now considered a right-wing nationalist, and under his rule, much of the media is controlled by people with ties to the government. He served an earlier term as prime minister from 1998 to 2002, before taking on the role again in 2010.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up