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| Hungary’s Premier Tightens Hold on Power After Elections | Hungary’s Premier Tightens Hold on Power After Elections |
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| Prime Minister Viktor Orban continued his steady consolidation of power in Hungary in local and municipal elections on Sunday with his governing Fidesz party winning control of all county assemblies and all but one of the largest cities, including the capital, Budapest. | Prime Minister Viktor Orban continued his steady consolidation of power in Hungary in local and municipal elections on Sunday with his governing Fidesz party winning control of all county assemblies and all but one of the largest cities, including the capital, Budapest. |
| A coalition of left-leaning and socialist parties won in the fourth-largest city, Szeged, near the Serbian border. Despite some indications of growing support for Hungary’s far-right Jobbik party, it dominated only in a handful of small, rural municipalities. | A coalition of left-leaning and socialist parties won in the fourth-largest city, Szeged, near the Serbian border. Despite some indications of growing support for Hungary’s far-right Jobbik party, it dominated only in a handful of small, rural municipalities. |
| The victory was the third straight triumph for Mr. Orban’s right-wing party. In April, he was returned to office following parliamentary elections in which Fidesz, for the second time, won a two-thirds majority, giving it the power to alter the Constitution. And in May, the party decisively won in voting for the European Parliament. | The victory was the third straight triumph for Mr. Orban’s right-wing party. In April, he was returned to office following parliamentary elections in which Fidesz, for the second time, won a two-thirds majority, giving it the power to alter the Constitution. And in May, the party decisively won in voting for the European Parliament. |
| “Three is the Hungarian truth, and today, we got the third, our third victory,” Mr. Orban said in a brief victory speech on Sunday night. He was referring, as he often does, to Hungarian folk sayings, in this case a longtime popular maxim taken from the Latin “omne trium perfectum,” which means “everything that comes in threes is perfect." | |
| “Hungary is a powerful country because at each vote, it managed to present a unity that is rare in Europe,” the prime minister said, vowing to “make Hungary great in the next four years.” | “Hungary is a powerful country because at each vote, it managed to present a unity that is rare in Europe,” the prime minister said, vowing to “make Hungary great in the next four years.” |
| With his victories on Sunday, Mr. Orban now faces no more elections until 2018, barring unforeseen events, and he is expected to use his political dominance to forcefully advance his conservative agenda. | With his victories on Sunday, Mr. Orban now faces no more elections until 2018, barring unforeseen events, and he is expected to use his political dominance to forcefully advance his conservative agenda. |
| “In my opinion, three major victories give them a consistent legitimacy, as it would anywhere in the world,” said Julia Lakatos of the Center for Fair Political Analysis, an independent research group, in a phone interview from Budapest. | “In my opinion, three major victories give them a consistent legitimacy, as it would anywhere in the world,” said Julia Lakatos of the Center for Fair Political Analysis, an independent research group, in a phone interview from Budapest. |
| Mr. Orban, whose increasingly authoritarian rule has worried many Western leaders, drew criticism over the summer for a speech in which he declared his support for “illiberal democracy,” pointing to the economic success of authoritarian states in China, Russia, Singapore and Turkey. | Mr. Orban, whose increasingly authoritarian rule has worried many Western leaders, drew criticism over the summer for a speech in which he declared his support for “illiberal democracy,” pointing to the economic success of authoritarian states in China, Russia, Singapore and Turkey. |
| Party officials later said that this did not mean that Hungary intended to abandon democracy, just that it wanted to stem the kind of “cowboy capitalism” — a term that has become a popular slur in the region’s politics — that led to the financial collapse in 2008. | Party officials later said that this did not mean that Hungary intended to abandon democracy, just that it wanted to stem the kind of “cowboy capitalism” — a term that has become a popular slur in the region’s politics — that led to the financial collapse in 2008. |
| The leftist coalition did poorly in Sunday’s voting, in part, because it had grown increasingly fragmented. Jobbik, which has tried in recent months to soften its image, did as well as the leftists in many large cities and beat them in some. | The leftist coalition did poorly in Sunday’s voting, in part, because it had grown increasingly fragmented. Jobbik, which has tried in recent months to soften its image, did as well as the leftists in many large cities and beat them in some. |
| “They have become, symbolically, the second force behind Fidesz,” Ms. Lakatos said. “But they could not get near Fidesz.” | “They have become, symbolically, the second force behind Fidesz,” Ms. Lakatos said. “But they could not get near Fidesz.” |