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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz Party is polling at its highest levels since 2011, most likely ensuring a victory in next year’s elections, cementing a third term for the nationalist leader. Fidesz is enjoying a 40% approval rating six months before the parliamentary elections in April 2018.
Orban is riding high primarily due to his anti-immigration message and refusal to bow to European Union demands that Hungary accept hundreds of thousands of Islamic migrants into the country, fearing cultural destruction and a loss of internal security for the Hungarian people.
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“Pollster Median said Fidesz’ support rose to 40 percent in October from 36 percent in September, while the main radical nationalist opposition party Jobbik lost some of its support. Jobbik’s support dropped to 11 percent from 12 percent, while the Socialists scored 7 percent in October, the same as in September. Among decided voters, Fidesz, which won a two-thirds majority in parliament in 2014, was even stronger: its support rose to 61 percent in October from 55 in September, while Jobbik dropped to 14 percent from 16,” reported Reuters.
Endre Hann, managing director of pollster Median, said Fidesz voters showed an unusual determination and willingness to vote. This seems to mirror other nationalist movements where the voters are passionate about issues that are important to them.
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“And also there is kind of a self-fulfilling process: more and more people feel that the opposition does not have any chance (in next year’s election),” he added, reported Reuters.
The European Union has initiated ‘infringement procedures’ against Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic to force them to accept migrants, threatening fines and other negative outcomes within the EU for the Visegrad group of countries.
