Hungarian voters turned out in force to give pro-European candidate Peter Magyar a landslide victory, delivering a decisive rebuke to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s far-right, authoritarian course. Magyar’s center-right Tisza party is projected to take 138 of the 199 seats in parliament — five seats more than the two-thirds majority needed to enact constitutional reforms he promised on the campaign trail.
The win came despite Orban’s dominance of public media, electoral gerrymandering that forced Tisza to win an estimated extra 5% of the vote compared with Orban’s Fidesz, and campaigning efforts by European far-right parties and elements in the US urging voters to keep the incumbent government. Turnout approached 80%, a post-communist Hungary record, according to the National Election Office.
In his victory speech, Magyar said his government would rebuild ties with Brussels and NATO and tackle the corruption that flourished under Orban. “With the two-thirds majority allowing us to amend the constitution, we will restore the system of checks and balances,” he vowed, adding that Hungary would join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and “guarantee the democratic functioning of our country.” Many in the crowd chanted “Europe, Europe” during his remarks.
Magyar has promised reforms that could unlock billions in EU funding frozen over rule-of-law and media-freedom concerns. He has also said he wants Hungary to adopt the euro. Diplomats and analysts warn the government will need to show concrete reforms before Brussels releases funds, which would be crucial for a nearly stagnant Hungarian economy.
On social issues, Magyar was cautious during the campaign. He has said little about LGBTQ+ rights, which were curtailed under Orban, but has affirmed equality before the law — a stance observers say may have been chosen to retain conservative voters while avoiding polarizing debate.
European leaders and Ukraine welcomed the result as a potential turning point. While Magyar, like Orban, opposes sending arms to Ukraine and resists rapid EU accession for Kyiv, he is unlikely to reprise Orban’s vitriolic rhetoric toward Kyiv. Orban repeatedly used his veto to frustrate EU support for Ukraine, maintained unusually close ties to Vladimir Putin, and kept Hungary dependent on Russian energy imports — positions that provoked domestic opposition as well as concern in Brussels. As results came in, chants of “Ruszkik haza!” (“Russians go home!”) were widely heard in Budapest.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the outcome, saying “Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight.” German CDU leader Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed willingness to work with Magyar and welcomed the result as a victory for democratic values. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the vote as “historic.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Magyar on his “resounding victory” and offered readiness for meetings and constructive cooperation for peace, security and stability in Europe.
Following the election, Ukraine lifted a travel advisory it had issued for Hungary after Hungarian authorities detained seven employees of Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank last month while they were transporting cash between Austria and Ukraine.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse