The Left is none too happy about Viktor Orban winning a third term in Hungary

Not only was he re-elected prime minister, but he'll enjoy a strong majority in Parliament.

Michael Brown at Townhall cites some voices who see this as a bad thing:

 . . . for Nick Robins-Early, writing one day before the elections in the Huffington Post, things looked very different. A headline announced, “Hungary’s Strange And Vicious Election Brings Fears For The Future.” Indeed, “As Viktor Orbán looks set for a third consecutive term in power, there is widespread concern about hateful rhetoric and threats to rule of law.”

The article continues: “Orbán’s leadership can seem like a far-right fever dream in which identity politics and fear of outsiders trumps everything else.”

The HuffPo piece goes so far as to cite George Soros's "Jewish" identity to try to drag identity politics into it.  How's that for rich?

Also quotes a Princeton academic who paints quite a foreboding picture:

Not only so, but, “Under the guise of legal reform, Orbán has undermined Hungary’s judiciary and captured all independent state institutions, said Kim-Lane Scheppele, a professor of political science at Princeton University who previously worked at Hungary’s constitutional court.”

Worse still, Orban controls the media as well: “Today, Orbán and his allies control much of how Hungarians get their news. When dealing with dissenting voices, Orbán and his spokesman have also aggressively gone after the media at home and abroad.”

Others interviewed by the Huffpost supported these serious claims. Shades of 1984!

Well, how does the re-elected prime minister himself articulate his position?

In Orban's own words, “I think we have a right to decide that we do not want a large number of Muslim people in our country. We do not like the consequences of having a large number of Muslim communities that we see in other countries, and I do not see any reason for anyone else to force us to create ways of living together in Hungary that we do not want to see. That is a historical experience for us.”

Brown invites us to consider this hypothetical:

Lest this strike you as utterly bigoted, how would a Muslim country like Saudi Arabia respond to the arrival of tens of thousands of Christian refugees who not only wanted to enjoy government benefits but also had no desire to assimilate into Saudi, Islamic culture? Do they have no right to decline such refugees?

And, given the fact that Muhammad is now the number one boy’s name in countries like England and Wales, Orban’s concerns can be understood. Not surprisingly, he has declared Christianity to be “Europe’s last hope,” a striking statement for a man who was once an atheist.  

Sandor Nemeth, pastor of Budapest's Faith Church (started in 1979, when Hungary was still a Communist dictatorship), understands what's really at stake:

Pastor Németh gives us a healthier perspective of the reality on the ground: “If Orban and his party come out victorious, then, with strong government-support, the battle will continue not only against the Islamisation of our continent, but also against the hatred of Christianity, and against anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in Europe.” (For the record, Németh is a staunch supporter of Israel and the Jewish people.)

He adds, “In the past three years, Viktor Orban has boldly stood up for the traditional values of Europe and the protection of all communities which are based on the Judeo-Christian revelation. He has also spoken up on multiple occasions for the need to revitalise these communities.” 

 

What becomes clear is that the Left not only has no problem with the the dismantling of the West's Judeo-Christian foundation, it applauds it.

Fortunately, that project has been thwarted for the time being.