With more than 71 percent of the vote counted, an alliance dominated by Orbán’s Fidesz party was projected to win 134 seats in the Hungarian parliament with 199 seats. Since taking office in 2010, Orban has repeatedly clashed with EU institutions – which he has accused of undermining democracy and the rule of law – and has developed close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The election campaign was deeply affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine, with the prime minister considering himself the guardian of stability. But Orban was attacked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for following a softer line towards Moscow than other EU leaders. The Orban government has condemned the Russian invasion and backed EU sanctions on Moscow – but opposed a ban on Russian energy imports and refused to provide bilateral weapons to Kyiv. Ahead of Sunday’s vote, experts warned that competition conditions were skewed in favor of the ruling party.
