rally of Jobbik supporters
rally of Jobbik supportersReuters

The openly anti-Semitic Jobbik party in Hungary has made gains in local elections won convincingly by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling nationalist Fidesz, the BBC reported on Monday.

Jobbik came second in 18 out of 19 counties, ahead of the Socialists, as in the May European elections, and won control of 14 towns and villages, according to the report

"From 2018, Jobbik will govern this country," Jobbik leader Gabor Vona was quoted as having told cheering supporters in Budapest as the election results came in.

The party is behind much of the anti-Semitism in Hungary in recent years.

 In November of 2012, one of Jobbik’s members released a statement saying that a list should be compiled of all of the Jewish members of government.

He was followed by another Jobbik member who called publicly for the resignation of a fellow MP who claimed to have Israeli citizenship.

This summer, a town mayor linked to Jobbik was filmed ordering the hanging of effigies of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former president Shimon Peres in protest against the Gaza conflict.

In April, Jobbik came in third in the parliamentary elections and took a 20.5 percent share, up from 16.7 percent in the last election in 2010.

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) said that the success of the openly anti-Semitic party in the elections was “a source of grave concern for Europe.”