PRESS RELEASE
Brussels
9 April 2018
Commenting on the results of the Hungarian elections, European Green Party co-chairs Reinhard Bütikofer and Monica Frassoni said:
"With the result of the Hungarian parliamentary election, Prime Minister Orbán seems to have won the mandate that he sought. The electoral law which clearly has a built-in bias in his party’s favour transforms his increased share of the votes into a two-thirds majority. This is all the more significant as the participation rate in this election has been extremely high.
"After this result, the parliamentary opposition in Hungary will not be strong enough to keep Mr Orbán from changing the Hungarian constitution at will. This is a defeat of unexpected proportions that has motivated the losing party leaders to step down. Further analysis will have to show how this result has to be explained.
"LMP, the Green Hungarian EGP member party, has gained additional votes, a higher percentage of the overall vote, and more seats. We congratulate Bernadett Szell and her colleagues on this achievement. During the campaign, an even better result for LMP had at times been expected. It is good that they survived a very obnoxious campaign by the ruling party, but obviously the way towards a powerful alternative in Hungary that does prove that politics can indeed be different is still long, winding and steep."
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E paul.nolan@europeangreens.eu
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