Viktor Orbán concedes defeat as opposition wins Hungarian election | Hungary

Hungary’s opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, won the general election, ending leader Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power. This outcome will likely shake up the White House and reshape the country’s relations with the EU.

Less than three hours before the polls closed on Sunday, Orbán conceded defeat after what he described as a “painful” election result.

“I congratulated the victorious party,” Orbán told his supporters in Budapest. “We will serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition.”

Thirty minutes before the polls closed, a record 77.8% of the country’s voters – nearly seven points above the previous 2002 record – had arrived at polling stations in the Central European country. Throughout the difficult campaign, Orbán and his right-wing populist government have consistently trailed in the polls, suggesting the election could put an end to efforts to turn Hungary into an “illiberal democracy” and reshape the country’s relations with the EU, Moscow and Washington.

With 72 percent of the votes counted, the results showed that the main opposition party, Tisza, led by Magyar, a former member of Orbán’s Fidesz party who left the party in 2024, would win 138 seats in the 199-seat parliament.

The election was being followed closely in countries around the world; many saw this as a test of the resilience of the Maga movement and the global far right; many have long viewed Orbán as an inspiration and sought to follow his playbook.

As Orbán fell behind in the polls, right-wing leaders from around the world were racing to rally behind him. JD Vance arrived in Budapest last week for a two-day visit, and the US vice president told reporters he was in the capital to “help” Orbán win. Donald Trump has also repeatedly supported Orbán; He last shared the following post on Friday: “I AM WITH HIM IN EVERY WAY!”

In January, leaders including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu also made clear they supported Orbán.

Orbán, the EU’s longest-serving leader, has said that since 2010 he has sought to put Hungary in the vanguard of liberalism, defending traditional Christian family values ​​against what he sees as the onslaught of Western liberalism and multiculturalism.

His right-wing populist government has used its time in office to steadily reduce the checks and balances that constrain its power: rewriting electoral laws to suit its own interests, maneuvering to place an estimated 80% of the country’s media under the control of loyalists, and reorganizing the country’s judiciary.

Last summer, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Budapest, defying government efforts to ban Pride and other events inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.

The elections played out on both global and domestic stages, as Orbán tried to convince voters that Hungary was at risk of being dragged into the war in Ukraine; Magyar, meanwhile, has focused on domestic issues, with promises to fight corruption, repair Orbán’s hostile relationship with the EU and divert funds to the country’s crumbling public services.

Both candidates continued their message as they cast their votes Sunday morning. Magyar called on Hungarians to vote in a “decisive election” and later insisted that “the nightmare we have lived through in the past years will end tonight”.

Orbán reiterated his warnings of a “major crisis” awaiting Europe and suggested his government was in the safest hands in dealing with turbulent times. “Fortunately, we have many friends in the world. From America to China, from Russia to the Turkish world,” he told reporters after voting on Sunday.

The campaign noted that his government’s ties with Moscow had come under scrutiny after audio and transcripts were leaked alleging Orbán told Vladimir Putin “I am at your service” and that a minister shared classified EU information with the Russian government. Orbán’s government cited the leaks as evidence of foreign interference.

Among those mobilizing in large numbers against Orbán and Fidesz were young people; most of them had come of age as a country. Dropped in press freedom rankingsIt was accused of being an “electoral autocracy” and It became the most corrupt country in the EU. a survey He suggested that 65 percent of voters under the age of 30 planned to vote against Orbán.

Many students who spoke to the Guardian said their futures depended on the election result.

“I am very afraid of Hungary leaving the European Union,” said Blanka, 21, who lives in Budapest. “If things don’t change, I’ll probably leave my house, and I think a lot of my friends are thinking the same thing.”

Ahead of Sunday’s vote, analysts noted three possible outcomes of the election: a Hungarian majority that Orbán would accept, a Hungarian majority that Orbán would not accept, or a majority for Orbán.

Even if the Magyar managed to seize power, many expected change to come gradually. During Fidesz’s 16 years in power, the party filled the Hungarian state, media and judiciary with loyalists; It is not yet known how they will react to the change of government.

There was also the question of whether Magyar could win a simple majority or a supermajority; this meant it won at least two-thirds of the 199 seats in the Hungarian parliament. A supermajority would allow Magyar and his party to change the constitution and laws, reverse some changes made by Orbán and Fidesz, and potentially unlock EU funds.

“We know that even if we change governments, the next four to eight years will be difficult because they have dragged the country into an absolute shithole. There is no other way to say it,” said Betti, 24, who lives in Budapest. “It will be hard, but it will probably get better.”