sections: Opening, Consolidating Power, War in Ukraine, Narratives, Strategic Alignment, Conclusion. Use
Election Results Cement Authoritarian Trends in Hungary and Serbia
On April 3, 2022, parliamentary elections in Hungary and a presidential vote in Serbia produced decisive victories for leaders whose foreign policy leans toward Moscow and Beijing. In Budapest, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party secured more than 53 percent of the vote, a margin that surprised pollsters and weakened the opposition coalition. In Belgrade, President Aleksandar Vucic won a second term outright, with his closest rival trailing by roughly 40 percentage points, marking the first time a Serbian presidential candidate obtained a renewed mandate without needing a runoff.
Consolidation of Power Through Nationalist Rhetoric
Orban’s win extended a decade‑long period of governance that critics describe as autocratic, arguing it erodes democratic norms inside the European Union. His triumph was framed not only as a rejection of liberal policies but also as a turn away from Western alignment toward stronger relations with Beijing and Moscow.
Vucic’s campaign emphasized his role as Serbia’s guarantor of security, and in his victory speech he claimed to have achieved something no predecessor had accomplished, stating the race was not even close. These outcomes reinforced the authority of two leaders frequently accused of weakening democratic institutions while steering their electorates away from EU liberal values.
The War in Ukraine as a Mobilizing Factor
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine played a decisive role in both campaigns. Analysts suggest the war helped incumbents consolidate support by portraying Russia as a necessary partner rather than an aggressor.
Serbia, historically inclined toward Russia, has increasingly distanced itself from groups associated with Western policies, even though the European Union supplies most of its financial inflows. Vucic’s administration backed United Nations resolutions condemning the invasion but refused to join sanctions against Moscow. Biljana Stojkovic, the presidential candidate from a green‑left coalition, accused Vucic of fostering an atmosphere of adoration for Russia while displaying hypocrisy toward the EU, arguing he failed to grasp the war’s significance and the resulting geopolitical shifts.
Orban, although he voted for most EU sanctions on Russia, blocked the transfer of weapons to Ukraine and opposed sanctions on Russian energy imports, a stance rooted in Hungary’s heavy dependence on those supplies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized this dependence, and during his victory speech Orban singled out Zelenskyy, Brussels bureaucrats and international media as an overwhelming force his party had struggled against.
Competing Narratives of Security versus Western Influence
Andras Biro‑Nagy, director of the Policy Solutions think tank in Budapest, observed that Orban succeeded in dominating the war of narratives inside Hungary. He contrasted a security and peace storyline with one centered on liberal democracy and Western integration, noting that the former resonated with citizens seeking stability amid global uncertainty. A March survey by the Hungarian pollster Publicus found that only 44 percent of Fidesz supporters viewed Russia as the aggressor in the Ukraine war. Vucic similarly presented himself as Serbia’s protector of security, employing state‑controlled media to spread this message.
Consequently, many Serbs now interpret Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a consequence of Western pressure rather than Moscow’s own expansionist ambitions. Both leaders campaigned heavily on neutrality in the conflict while maintaining deep economic ties with Russia without explicitly naming Putin.
Strategic Alignment with China and Russia
In the final days of the campaign, Orban traveled to Serbia to rally support for his ally Vucic. The two leaders rode a fast‑track railway linking Belgrade and Budapest, a project financed by Chinese and Russian state companies under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. At a joint rally they described bilateral relations as the best in history and pledged further cooperation. Orban has repeatedly urged Serbia’s immediate admission into the European Union, declaring that the bloc needs Serbia more than the other way around.
Yet this rhetoric masks a deeper alignment with autocratic powers that challenge European sovereignty. The elections illustrate how external influences are reshaping political landscapes across Central Europe, with leaders prioritizing strategic partnerships over democratic principles.
As these alliances deepen, the implications for regional stability and European unity remain significant.
