Vučić and Orban: Putin-pleasing brothers of corrupt autocracy

The authorities in Hungary and Serbia have agreed that the elections in two neighboring and ultra-friendly countries will be held on the same day, April 3, 2022. It will be more likely that this is not a coincidence than that it is, and the reason is simple: two largely identical regimes use every opportunity to put wind in each other's sails. The pre-election opening of the Belgrade-Novi Sad high-speed railway, which will connect the capital of Serbia with Budapest, and the Vojvodina Hungarian diaspora with its motherland, with various "falcons", on which Viktor Orban, prime minister and absolute ruler of Hungary, i Aleksandar Vučić, the owner of Serbia, exchanged love messages - speaks in support of this.

It is not known whether Orban sold the franchise to Vučić, as he can rule ruthlessly and arrogantly, or whether both of them sold the franchise in a more eastern country. Basically, Orban has been in power since 2010, and Vučić since 2012. The principle is the same: it is governed by fostering a "cult of personality", almost complete control of the media, which violates all human and earthly laws, attacks on the opposition, lies, subversion, the collapse and instrumentalization of institutions, defamation of opponents and the systematic production of despair among citizens, who are convinced that nothing can change, no matter what we do. This is followed by huge, practically undisguised corruption. There are, of course, special and parallel relations with Putin's Russia, which are more important to both of them than relations with the EU.

Peace, stability, gifts and love messages to Putin

Both of them have two key words in the election: peace and stability. It is also a consequence of the war in Ukraine. The rhetoric is that only stable and "professional" authorities can provide citizens with peace and well-being, ensure that the eventual escalation of the conflict affects their little lives as little as possible. Orbán accuses the opposition of wanting to send Hungarians to war in Ukraine (which of course is not true), and he strongly opposes it. He sends love messages to Putin, but he agreed to impose sanctions on Russia, which he mostly tries to hide, like a matchmaker, from citizens who do not have access to independent media.

And Vučić makes measured statements, advocates for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but his associates, analysts and the media send a message to citizens that the Serbian regime is on the "right side of history" - Russia. Like Orban, he manages the fears and emotions of citizens well. Both of them hand out money from the budget during the pre-election period, in order not to buy votes that way. Orbán's generosity towards certain sections of the population has even caused inflation.

The metamorphosis of a liberal Euro-fanatic and a war-mongering mega-nationalist

There are also differences. After all, Hungary is a member of the European Union, so its citizens, if they don't want to, don't have to put up with Orbán's nonsense, they can pack up and leave. It is easier for the economy, the influence of the EU is still felt. The opposition in Hungary is more mature and active. Six parties united in a coalition that won Budapest and several other cities in the 2019 local elections. Candidates for positions are chosen in primaries. They put ideological differences aside. Their chance in Hungary is greater than that of the Serbian opposition on Sunday. Although, on the other hand, it can be said that the opposition in Serbia is much stronger and more active than it was just two years ago.

The difference between Orban and Vučić is also in the political past. While the first was a liberal-Eurofanatic (as such, prime minister from 1998 to 2002), the second was a mega-nationalist, warmonger and high-ranking official of the paramilitary party, SRS. Vučić's party colleagues wanted to expel the Hungarians from Vojvodina in the XNUMXs, but now - in the changed party uniforms - they do not mind that they have very close political ties with the Vojvodina Hungarians.

Orban's Serbian Hungarians

More precisely, with the Pastor clan (Istvan Pastor is the president of SVM). Of course, Pastor and son don't ask anything, they listen to what they are told from Budapest.

The SVM (Union of Vojvodina Hungarians) will contest the elections independently on a minority list, for which the so-called natural threshold. There is no doubt that the parliament will also come in and continue cooperation with SNS. SVM called on compatriots to vote for Vučić, not in the presidential elections.

Thanks to the agreement between Orban and Vučić, Hungarians in Vojvodina received huge funds for economic and cultural stimulation from Budapest. SVM has disposed of these assets and developed an imposing clientelistic network, which brings them reliable votes. In his atar, Pastor rules like Orban and Vučić - by controlling the media in the Hungarian language and other, already mentioned, authoritarian mechanisms. A safe vote for SVM is a safe vote for Orban's Fidesz, considering that there are about 65.000 people in Vojvodina who have the right to vote in the Hungarian elections.

Be that as it may, it is certain that in the coming elections, a possible defeat of Orban would also be a defeat of Aleksandar Vučić, and vice versa, according to the system of merged courts.

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