Hungary's Far Right Gains Ground in Elections

The strong performance of Hungary's far-right Jobbik party in the country's April 6 parliamentary elections presents a challenge both for the ruling Fidesz party and for the European Union. Jobbik's popularity puts pressure on Fidesz to appeal more to far-right constituencies, and the rise of a viable Central European far-right political party will test the willingness of other European countries to continue sidelining extreme-right groups as illegitimate political actors. 

However, despite the party's popularity in Hungary, European governments, as well as other far-right parties, will continue to isolate Jobbik, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government will be forced to balance domestic pressure to offer concessions to the far-right with international imperatives to comply with European rules.