Hungary
Unfair electoral system cements Orbán's sinister national populism
Commenting on the result of the elections in Hungary, Rebecca Harms, President of the Greens/EFA group in the European parliament today said:
"With 44% of the votes Viktor Orbán and his FIDESZ party could probably secure a two-thirds majority in the Hungarian Parliament. The unfair electoral system now cements Orbán's sinister national populism.
This result was facilitated and prepared for over the last few years with limitations on the freedom of press, the independence of the judiciary, the independence of the central bank and through changes in the electoral system and a biased appointment and nominations policy in favour of FIDESZ followers.
The high abstention rate of more than 38% signals that now many Hungarians too have lost their faith in the ballot-box as a means of expressing their opinions.
The growing support for the extreme-right party Jobbik, which openly advocates anti-Semitic and anti-Roma policies in the tradition of the old Hungarian fascists, is shocking. Viktor Orbán’s actions have prepared the ground for Jobbik.
With these developments in Hungary, the EU should come to a new agreement on how it can ensure fundamental EU values are respected inside the community. The current lack of mandatory common democratic standards means that the EU runs the risk of breaking up from within. The EU is further endangered when right-wing populists and anti-Europeans are handled with velvet gloves by their corresponding European party groupings.
There is at least one ray of hope remaining: The Green party LMP succeeded in crossing the 5% electoral threshold for a second time and will therefore be able to re-enter Parliament. A small, but in Central Europe, unique Green success."
