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Viktor Orban elected PM of Hungary for 4th term, criticises Zelensky in victory speech

Viktor Orban elected PM of Hungary for 4th term.

Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has won a fourth term by an overwhelming majority in the country's general election with most of the votes being counted.

His right-wing Fidesz party had 53.1% of votes with 98% counted. The opposition alliance led by Peter Marki-Zay was far behind with 35%.

In his victory speech, Mr Orban, 58, criticised Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Brussels bureaucrats calling them "opponents".

Mr Zelensky has repeatedly criticised Mr Orban's ban on the transfer of arms to Ukraine, with which it shares a border.

However, Mr Orban, who also has close ties with Moscow, has condemned the Russian invasion, and taken in half a million refugees since the war began in February.

"We never had so many opponents," AFP cited him as saying. "Brussels bureaucrats… the international mainstream media, and the Ukrainian president."

Mr Orban added that his "huge victory" could be seen "from the Moon, but certainly from Brussels as well".

Hungary's leader has repeatedly clashed with Brussels over rule of law issues such as press freedom and migration.

According to a BBC report, they've fallen out over Moscow too. Mr Orban is famed for his warm relations with Vladimir Putin. He signed up to Western sanctions – but refuses to supply Ukraine with weapons. He's the only EU leader to openly criticise President Zelensky.

Ukraine borders Hungary, and around 400,000 refugees have fled here since Russia's forces invaded.

But Orban said Hungary should keep out of the conflict itself – a war, he said, between two giant countries that is too dangerous.

Orban's entourage accused Vlodymyr Zelensky of forming a "pact" with the Hungarian opposition to drag Hungarian soldiers into the war with Russia, BBC reported.