Out of 199 seats in the newly elected Hungarian parliament, 159 are now in the hands of the far right (133 for Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz and 26 for the once-neo-Nazi-now-“national-conservative” Jobbik party in opposition). The rest are divided among various small center-left and center-right parties.

The elections were farcical. Citizens largely received their information from Orbán’s formidable propaganda machine (the media is mostly in the hands of his far-right apparat), with a minority getting their facts from invective-filled anti-Orbán websites (more amusing than persuasive) and from communiqués issued by the squabbling and ineffective opposition parties.

The electoral system is designed for two main blocs, which does not fit the political structure of the country, and there were seven “major” opposition parties competing, so the result was never in doubt. Half of the popular vote went to Orbán. The other half was split between small groups. Opposition party leaders have resigned en masse — not that it matters — and anti-Orbán demonstrations have sprung up, with EU and Hungarian Nazi (Arrow Cross) flags and demands for new elections.