Main Edition
US
FR
April 6, 2022 - 3:30pm
Viktor Orbán is more powerful in Hungary now than he’s ever been. Pollsters predicted a close election, but it turned out to be a landslide. A system combining proportional representation and first-past-the-post meant Fidesz’s 53% of the vote won it over two-thirds of the seats in parliament.
Keeping this parliamentary “supermajority” is key because it gives Orbán the power to push through constitutional changes. Some fear this will be used to keep skewing the democratic playing field in Fidesz’s favour. This is certainly possible, but constitutional tinkering would more likely be used to support Fidesz’s traditionalist social policies.
In December 2020, the constitution was amended to affirm that the “family” is a unit in which “the mother is a woman, the father a man,” along with a provision that “defends the right of children to identify with their birth gender.” This change laid the groundworks for a law, passed in June 2021, that angered EU progressives. The “Child Protection Act” restricted the display of LGBT-positive content to children and forbade the teaching of what Orbán calls “LGBT ideology” in schools.
While voting in the election on Sunday, Hungarians were also given the option to participate in a referendum containing four leading questions related to the Child Protection Act. The number of spoiled ballots made the referendum invalid, but Fidesz will argue that election victory vindicates its social policies.
This means Hungary’s “rule of law” dispute with the EU will ratchet up a notch. Many in Brussels were open about their desire to see Orbán lose – indeed, some MEPs appeared far more interested in influencing Hungary’s vote than in serving their own constituents. Brussels has lost no time in making a show of strength: Ursula von der Leyen yesterday announced the triggering of the bloc’s rule of law mechanism for withholding funds from Hungary.
The bloc’s position will be aided by cracks in the Visegrád Four regional alliance appearing since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Orbán has become a relative pariah in the group due to his failure to send arms to Kyiv. Relations with long-time conservative ally Poland have turned frosty, while the Czech defence minister snubbed a V4 summit shortly before the Hungarian election because “Russian oil is now more important for Hungarian politicians than Ukrainian blood.”
Join the discussion
Join like minded readers that support our journalism by becoming a paid subscriber
To join the discussion in the comments, become a paid subscriber.
Join like minded readers that support our journalism, read unlimited articles and enjoy other subscriber-only benefits.
SubscribeThe following:
“family” is a unit in which “the mother is a woman, the father a man,”
“defends the right of children to identify with their birth gender”
“restricted the display of LGBT-positive content to children and forbade the teaching of what Orbán calls “LGBT ideology” in schools.”
Would be supported by the majority of people in Western countries (and most people here would be very tolerant and accepting about gays or trans people overall)
But (while preening about their superior “democratic values”) the political and media elite would go against the will of their people to pass through such c**p in their legislation, education policies, etc.
Democracy indeed.
Yes, Democratic values” like the democracy of the DDR and the Democratic Republic of North Korea. Democratic in name only.Sure Orban won with the help of a tame TV and press but the BBC doesn’t give the unvarnished truth. Anyone reflecting popular opinion has to battle against the “far-right label” on the airwaves in most of Europe.