Recently in Europe, two European Union (EU) members, Hungary and Bulgaria, have had elections in their respective parliaments. The elections have been a focal point of debate and political shift in Europe.

In Hungary, Peter Maygar was elected as the new Prime Minister. He is a member of the pro-Europe conservative Tisza party. Sophomore Annie Lin said, “I’m glad to see Orban leave after 16 years; I didn’t like his nationalism or friendliness with Russia.” Viktor Orban led Hungary for 16 consecutive years and became extremely unpopular due to his unique stance on Russia, being more friendly to Russia than the rest of the EU. Orban was also a Christian Nationalist, marking a huge shift towards a more liberal government with the recent election, although Magyar’s party is still conservative leaning (center-right). In the EU, this means that the European Commission will be more united in their policies, especially when dealing with Russia and Ukraine. Lin added, “I find it so weird and alarming that Orban held ties with Putin and was so friendly to Russia even after the war started.” Orban frequently obstructed anti-Russia policies, such as sanctions on Russia’s economy and EU military aid to Ukraine. Orban also criticized the EU many times, claiming it was an “overreaching bureaucracy.” Magyar aims to rekindle the relationship between Hungary and the European Union and end Russian influence in Hungary. 

Not too far away from Hungary, Bulgaria also had elections following the resignation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and his minority coalition government. Four months after the resignation, elections were held on April 19, marking Bulgaria’s eighth election in the past five years. Freshman Miranda Park said, “It’s crazy how Bulgaria basically did the exact opposite of Hungary.” The Pro-Europe, Pro-West, Democratic Bulgaria and We Continue The Change  (PP-DB)  coalition was replaced by the Progressive Bulgaria (PB) coalition, which is Eurosceptic and opposes aid to Ukraine. Both the new Hungarian Parliament and Bulgarian Parliament are focused on pro-corruption, but their views on the EU and Russia could not be more different. However, Hungary does have four more seats in the EU Parliament than Bulgaria, which may be enough to pass more anti-Russia laws. Park said, “I hope that the rest of Europe will still help Ukraine during the war.” 

Another shift happening in the EU is further expansion of the Union to include a new member state: Montenegro. According to the Parliament Magazine, “The Commission expects Montenegro to conclude accession negotiations by the end of 2026.” Bulgaria, although having strong critiques of the Union, also recently joined the Eurozone, adopting the Euro over the Bulgarian Lev in January. Lin said, “I think even though Bulgaria is not really pro-Europe, the shift in Hungary and expansion of the EU gives hope for a bright future.”