Pro-Russian Strongmen Win Re-Election in Hungary, Serbia
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (left) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić (right) each won their respective elections on Sunday, April 3, 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/ Andrej Cukic, via Balkan Insight
The 2022 Hungarian and Serbian national elections resulted in victory for the incumbent leaders up for re-election: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. Both are right-wing, notoriously pro-Russian populists who have stood in opposition to Western institutions such as the European Union and NATO time and again.
Serbia’s Vučić was the projected winner of Sunday’s presidential election, securing nearly 60 percent of the vote, with opposition candidate Zdravko Ponos set to come in second with about 17 percent support. Ponos represented the centrist and Pro-European Alliance for Victory Coalition. In the parliamentary elections, Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) secured 43.5 percent of the vote, while their longtime ally Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) won another 11.6 percent, assuring them a solid legislative majority.
Viktor Orbán’s electoral success won him his fourth consecutive term in office (fifth in total). Six opposition parties put their support behind opposition candidate Péter Márki-Zay, but to no avail. The pro-European centrist opposition United for Hungary garnered roughly 34 percent of the vote to put them in second place, trailing behind the incumbent’s Fidesz-led coalition which won 53 percent of the vote. Fidesz won 135 of 199 seats in the parliament, safely securing the majority.
The election results did not go undisputed in either country, however. In Serbia, NGOs overseeing the parliamentary election declared a complete collapse of the state administration and claimed that at least 10 percent of polling places saw voting irregularities. The accusations varied from vote-buying to violent incidents and premature closure of polls. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which observed both elections, determined that each was carried out on an “uneven playing field” giving an advantage to the incumbent leaders.
The implications of Vučić and Orbán’s election victories are particularly salient in the current tumultuous atmosphere of Western relations with Russia. It reaffirms the maintained existence of some Western allies to Putin, particularly in Hungary as a member of the EU and NATO. Both Hungary and Serbia have dueled with EU standards in the past – the critical difference being that the former is an official member state while the latter remains in the negotiations process. Concerns over compliance with the rule of law, human rights, and cultural and media freedoms have fueled tensions between Budapest and Brussels, while many in Serbia have voiced disapproval of the imposition of Western influence and an anti-Russia disposition.
The close ties between Budapest and Moscow have raised the question of Hungary’s loyalties and its role within Western institutions, such as the European Union. Photo: FB/Viktor Orbán, via Daily News Hungary
The response of both Vučić and Orbán to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been criticized as insufficient by a number of observers. Both countries are heavily reliant on Russian gas, and maintain military ties with the country as well. Having acknowledged the effect of the situation in Ukraine on the election, Vučić indicated that Serbia was determined to maintain its balance of close ties with Russia and China, and its bid for EU membership. While Serbia and Hungary have refused to impose sanctions on Russia, both countries voted to condemn the invasion of Ukraine in the March 2022 UN resolution.
In his victory speech, Orbán took the opportunity to praise the success of his party and criticize the EU, saying, "We have such a victory it can be seen from the moon, but it's sure that it can be seen from Brussels.” He also called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky an “opponent” of Hungary, pushing back on criticism he has received for not doing enough to help Ukraine during the invasion. Hungary has taken in over half a million refugees since the beginning of the war, with Orbán condemning the invasion and even calling for a Russian ceasefire.
Following the conclusion of the election, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally congratulated Orbán, writing “Despite the difficult international situation, the further development of bilateral ties of partnership fully accords with the interests of the peoples of Russia and Hungary.” Putin also offered his congratulations to Vučić, expressing interest in continuing to build on the strategic partnership between Belgrade and the Kremlin.
Ultimately, the reelection of these illiberal nationalist leaders is likely to have lasting consequences for regional stability and prospects of future peace. It remains to be seen how the securing of victory will influence further reactions to Russian aggression and Western influence.