Hungary PM Orban declares victory as ruling party projected to take 67% of parliament seats

Viktor Orban has claimed a decisive victory and is set for a third consecutive term as Hungarian prime minister, after preliminary results show his Fidesz party taking a majority of at least 134 seats in the 199-seat parliament.

“We have won… Hungary has won a great victory,” Orban told a crowd of cheering supporters at a Sunday night rally, who responded by spontaneously singing the country’s national anthem.

According to preliminary results of Sunday’s parliamentary election, the incumbent Prime Minister's Fidesz party secured over 48 percent of the vote. The far-right Jobbik party received roughly 20 percent in the early results, while the Socialists are looking to come in third, with roughly 12 percent.

With more than 90 percent of votes counted, the Fidesz party is expected to take 134 seats out of the parliament’s 199. The far-right Jobbik party will secure roughly 26 seats.

Following Orban's victory speech, Jobbik's leader, Gabor Vona, announced that he will resign following his party’s defeat. “Once again Fidesz has sadly won,” he told his supporters on Sunday night, according to the Guardian.

The Socialist Party President Gyula Molnar also announced his resignation following the vote. "We regard ourselves responsible for what happened, [and] we have acknowledged the decision of voters," he told party supporters.

The prime minister’s campaign has been centered on anti-immigration policies. "High turnout has cast aside all doubts," Orban noted on Sunday night, after election officials announced a 68 percent poll attendance of some 8.3 million eligible voters.

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