Updated April 12, 2026 at 9:01 PM EDT
BUDAPEST — Disbelief turned to joy on the banks of the Danube where supporters of Hungary's incoming prime minister, Péter Magyar, celebrated his landslide victory over incumbent Viktor Orbán, who has served a total of five terms. Concerns about whether the outgoing premier would concede dissipated when Orbán congratulated his challenger surprisingly early on election night.
Hungarian voters had turned out in the greatest numbers since the fall of communism in the 1990s to turn away from Orbán's Fidesz party, with exit polls indicating a possible "super-majority" victory for Magyar's Tisza movement. The movement rallied various opposition forces around the themes of fighting corruption and re-integrating the European mainstream.
Orbán congratulated Magyar in a concession speech less than three hours after polls closed. Early ballot counts suggested a possible two-thirds majority for Magyar and Tisza. If that happens, he would be able to undo constitutional changes made by Orbán to weaken the independence of the judiciary and entrench the Fidesz party's control of political life.
Speaking to a crowd of thousands of supporters waving Hungarian flags, 45-year-old Magyar evoked John F. Kennedy by asserting: "Today we won because the Hungarian people didn't ask what their country could do for them, but what they could do for their country."
As the crowd chanted "Tisza is rising," Magyar compared this pivotal moment with the 1848 Hungarian revolution and the 1956 uprising against the Soviet Union. Supporters also chanted, "Russians, go home!"
The vote was seen as critical for Europe and Ukraine, as the Kremlin-friendly Orbán often clashed with European Union partners, notably over funding Kyiv's budget and war effort. Orbán also faced accusations of corruption and misuse of EU funds, which he denies. The campaign drew international attention, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance appearing alongside Orbán, and President Trump calling into a rally held by the man who wanted Hungary to become an "illiberal" democracy.
As Orbán leaves office, the Kremlin loses an ally in the heart of Europe and Ukraine can hope to see Hungary's new leader withdraw Budapest's current veto of 90 billion euros' worth of EU financial aid for Kyiv.
Copyright 2026 NPR
