Jerusalem – The Simon Wiesenthal Center today expressed grave concern at the electoral gains made by the ultranationalist Hungarian Jobbik party in last week's nationwide municipal elections. In a statement issued here today by Associate Dean Rabbi Abraham Cooper and its Israel director and chief Nazi-hunter, Dr. Efraim Zuroff, the Center emphasized that Jobbik's gains in the election made it, for the first time, the country's second-largest party, a shocking result given its blatantly anti-Roma and anti-Semitic agenda.

According to Cooper and Zuroff:

"The rise of Jobbik, which openly promotes ethnic hatred and anti-Semitism, is a warning signal for the entire European Union, which has hitherto failed to take the necessary measures to combat the spread of right-wing extremism in post-Communist Eastern Europe. In addition, Jobbik's ascent to increased political power will have a profoundly negative impact on Hungary's relations with the United States and its already-tarnished image as a flawed democracy."

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).