MINSK, 16 April (BelTA) - Viktor Orbán’s defeat was not a foregone conclusion, even though his rival, MP Peter Magyar, was ahead in the ratings, Dmitry Golubnichy, an analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research, said in an interview with BelTA.
According to the analyst, by the time of the election, international experts gave both candidates virtually equal chances of victory. The campaign did not become a mere formal ritual for the opponent of the incumbent prime minister. The struggle continued until the very end. “The impression was that the leader of Fidesz [Viktor Orban] to some extent abandoned the fight and decided not to use the full arsenal of political technology tools to win. The voting map shows an overall uniformity in the distribution of votes across regions, with the exception of certain areas in eastern and western Hungary, which generally does not affect the overall picture,” Dmitry Golubnichy noted.
According to the analyst, by the time of the election, international experts gave both candidates virtually equal chances of victory. The campaign did not become a mere formal ritual for the opponent of the incumbent prime minister. The struggle continued until the very end. “The impression was that the leader of Fidesz [Viktor Orban] to some extent abandoned the fight and decided not to use the full arsenal of political technology tools to win. The voting map shows an overall uniformity in the distribution of votes across regions, with the exception of certain areas in eastern and western Hungary, which generally does not affect the overall picture,” Dmitry Golubnichy noted.
Hungary's National Election Office, after announcing preliminary results of the vote, reported that voter turnout in the country broke records from previous years. “The high turnout was rather the achievement of Tisza [Peter Magyar's party],” the expert said. “The party managed to mobilize the most mobile and energetic electorate - young people, residents of large cities, and Euro-optimists. In the electoral race, Magyar positioned his political structure as a party with a reformist spirit, ready to work to reduce the political gap between Budapest and Brussels, which resonated with voters’ perceptions.”
The election results are also explained by the immense pressure from Brussels and several EU governments on Viktor Orban and his party, which exhausted both the Hungarian establishment and the population. “They applied such sensitive measures as the blocking of planned budgetary aid funds. The European elite and media portrayed Orban as an autocrat whose actions do not meet the standards of Western integration and the rule of law. The European Parliament and the European Commission included Hungary in reports on corruption risks, the weakening of judicial independence, and the reduction of media freedom. Finally, Budapest was publicly accused of allegedly working systematically for the Russian Federation,” Dmitry Golubnichy said.
The opposition party Tisza won the elections in Hungary, securing 138 out of 199 seats in the National Assembly. Over the next four years, the party will hold a constitutional majority. Tisza leader Peter Magyar will be elected as prime minister at the first parliamentary session, which will take place in early May. Magyar will succeed Viktor Orban, who leads the right-wing conservative party Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Alliance, as prime minister.
The opposition party Tisza won the elections in Hungary, securing 138 out of 199 seats in the National Assembly. Over the next four years, the party will hold a constitutional majority. Tisza leader Peter Magyar will be elected as prime minister at the first parliamentary session, which will take place in early May. Magyar will succeed Viktor Orban, who leads the right-wing conservative party Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Alliance, as prime minister.
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