EP election: Fidesz, Jobbik tops on low voter turnout

Cruising to a landslide victory in which the governing Fidesz-KDNP coalition garnered 51.5% of the vote, opposition party MSzP and Hungarian voters themselves set a pair of records – but not of the sort worthy of boasting. The socialist party managed just 10.9% for its poorest showing in any nationwide election held since the change in political system in 1990; meanwhile, voter turnout in the country was recorded at a record-low 29%.

The right-wing Jobbik party rose above the fragmented left-wing to receive 14.7% support, down a tiny fraction from that garnered in the year 2009 voting. Former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány’s Democratic Coalition (DK) party surprised to finish fourth with 9.8% of voters’ support, while former PM Gordon Bajnai’s Together-Dialogue for Hungary (E-PM) group managed 7.2% and green-centric LMP took just over 5%.

The latest official tally projected that 12 of Hungary’s 21 seats in the European Parliament would be filled by Fidesz-KDNP, with Jobbik winning three, MSzP two, DK two, E-PM one and LMP one.

As for that voter turnout, Hungary’s apathy was fairly representative of the region: In Saturday balloting, only some 25% of eligible voters in the Czech Republic turned out, while in Slovakia just 13% cast a vote.

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