Victor Orban announces his victory in the election

(CNN Spanish) – Victor Orban, Hungary’s dictatorial leader and longtime ally of Russia, has declared victory in the country’s parliamentary elections and is in power for the fourth time in a row.

Orban’s Fidesz Party a Benefit Hungary’s National Electoral Board said Sunday night that 71% of the vote had been counted.

The election campaign was dominated by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which called into question Orban’s long-standing relationship with President Vladimir Putin.

In his victory speech, Orban said that he was one of the “opponents” to be defeated during the campaign of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky.

Hungary is heavily dependent on Russian power and Orban has avoided opportunities to condemn Putin’s attack on his neighbor, complicating the EU’s efforts to present a united front against him.

Despite opinion polls predicting close competition, the Fidesz party won a landslide victory in most parts of the country. Opposition leader Peter Marquez did not win even in his home district of May.

“We have such a big victory, you can see it from the moon, but of course you can see it from Brussels,” Orban said in a victory speech Sunday night, pointing to his government’s long-standing tensions with EU leaders. .

“We will remember this victory until the end of our lives because we had to fight a lot of enemies,” Orban said, citing several of his political opponents, including the Hungarian left, the “officials” in the international media Brussels, and even the Ukrainian president: so much at once. We have no enemies. “

The president has tightened his grip on the Hungarian judiciary, media and educational institutions during his 12-year rule, which will now last until 2026. He has proposed laws against immigrants and the LGBTQ + community, and the “liberal” government within the EU.

From the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Orban campaigned primarily on a platform to keep Hungarian troops and weapons out of the conflict. He has supported most of the EU sanctions against Russia since the occupation of Ukraine, but opposed further going, posing as a pacifist to the electorate.

On Wednesday, its foreign minister accused the Ukrainian government of collaborating with Hungary’s opposition, with no evidence.

Prior to the invasion, Urban had a thorny relationship with the European Union. His government was criticized by senior members of the constituency for its rule of law issues; Earlier this year, the European Court of Justice allowed the European Union to suspend funding to Hungary and Poland for violating democratic rights.

A referendum was held on Sunday on the controversial Urban Act, which bans educational materials and programs for children that are considered to promote homosexuality and gender reassignment.