- The vote ends conservative Orban’s 16-year rule.
- Election result important for EU, USA, Russia and Ukraine.
- Election officials estimate turnout at 79% or more, a record.
Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban lost power to the new center-right Tisza party in Sunday’s national election after 16 years in office, marking a setback for his allies in Russia and for U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House.
Orban, 62, was celebrated by conservatives across Europe and the United States as the mastermind of the “illiberal” model of democracy, but has lost favor with his voters, weary of economic stagnation, international isolation and wealth accumulation by oligarchs.
His crushing defeat gave Peter Magyar, 45, of Tisza, a comfortable majority in Hungary’s 199-seat legislature, opening the door to significant reforms to a system that European Union critics have called subverted democratic norms.
Once almost all the ballots were counted, Tisza was poised to win 138 seats, more than the two-thirds majority the Magyars would need to overturn Orban’s constitutional overhaul and fight corruption.
The record turnout on Sunday underscored how many Hungarians saw the election as a watershed moment for their country.
“We did it. Tisza and Hungary won these elections,” Magyar told tens of thousands of supporters dancing and cheering along the elegant banks of the Danube in central Budapest.
Many held candles as the speakers played Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” as Magyar made his way to the stage. “Together we replaced Orban’s system, and together we liberated Hungary, we reconquered our country,” he said.
Magyar had framed the election as a choice between “East and West”, warning voters that Orban and his confrontational stance towards Brussels would push the country further away from the European mainstream. Orban countered that Tisza would drag Hungary into an unwanted war with Russia, a charge Magyar denied.
“The election result is painful for us, but it is clear,” Orban told the Fidesz campaign office. Some of his supporters gathered outside cried as they watched his speech on television screens.
Shock waves for the EU and beyond
The end of Orban’s 16-year rule will have significant implications not only for Hungary, but also for the European Union, Ukraine and beyond.
Many European leaders are hoping for an end to Hungary’s antagonistic role in the EU, which could pave the way for a 90 billion euro ($105 billion) loan to war-scarred Ukraine blocked by Orban.
Mujtaba Rahman, chief executive of the Eurasia Group, said Magyar will be able to deliver on its promises to eliminate corruption and remove Fidesz loyalists from key positions.
“As for Ukraine, Magyar will agree to pave the way for an influx of 90 billion euros into Ukraine. He was extremely cautious before the elections, but without the need now to try to appease Fidesz voters, we believe Hungary will cautiously move further into the European mainstream on most issues.”
Some diplomats in Brussels have warned that issues such as migration could remain thorny. “Hungary will continue to be a demanding partner, but a partner with which other member states can work,” one of them said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy congratulated Magyar on Sunday and pledged to work with him to strengthen Europe and maintain peace and security. “It is important when a constructive approach wins,” Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram.
Orban’s defeat could also mean the possible release of EU funds for Hungary, suspended due to reforms that Brussels says undermine democratic standards, a subject closely watched by financial markets.
“Hungary chose Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU’s top leader, said after the partial results were published.
Orban’s departure would also deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of his main ally in the EU and send shockwaves through Western right-wing circles, including the White House.
Orban had won public support from the Trump administration, culminating in a visit to Budapest by Vice President JD Vance last week, as well as from the Kremlin and far-right leaders in Europe.
But his campaign was rocked by media reports claiming his government colluded with Moscow on diplomatic and political issues.
Orban, who has denied any wrongdoing, said his goal was to protect Hungary’s national identity and traditional Christian values within the EU as well as its security in a dangerous world.
“It’s incredibly exciting,” said Dorina Nyul, 24, who attended Tisza’s election night. “It feels like this is our first and last chance in a very long time to actually change the system. And it’s, I can’t even describe the feeling.”
