Jobbik, a far-right Hungarian political party, fared better than ever in recent parliamentary elections. Founded in 2002 by a group of young far-right activists, Jobbik is an openly anti-Roma and anti-Semitic party with ties to illegal paramilitary groups. Its members have been linked to violence against minorities, especially Hungary's Roma population.
Though the ruling Fidesz party won 44 percent of the popular vote and took control of more than 66 percent of the seats in parliament, Jobbik won 20 percent of the vote, netting 11 percent of the seats in parliament. Jobbik's strong performance in the parliamentary elections makes it one of the most politically successful far-right parties in the European Union.
Jobbik may perform similarly well in the upcoming EU parliamentary elections, but like-minded parties throughout Europe may be reluctant to court Jobbik as they try to unite. These parties have been trying to soften their rhetoric so that they can appeal to broader voting bases.
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is trying to balance Jobbik's relative popularity with deep-seated concerns about the group. While officially condemning Jobbik's ideology, Fidesz has used some of Jobbik's nationalist rhetoric and policy proposals, especially those regarding cultural and economic policy, since 2010 in an effort to compete for votes. For example, tightening national control over the energy sector and lowering utility prices were among the top proposals of the Jobbik election campaign in 2010 and later became central policy goals of the Orban government.
Although Fidesz will compete with Jobbik by moving further to the right in terms of its rhetoric and policy agenda, Orban's government will continue to avoid openly embracing the far right. Fidesz will balance its domestic goals of appealing to far-right voters with Hungary's need to remain a member of the European Union.
