Magyar Wins Hungarian Election

Péter Magyar, a 45-year-old lawyer and former Orbán loyalist, won Hungary's parliamentary elections on Sunday, ending Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule as prime minister. His Tisza Party secured 141 of the parliament’s 199 seats after final vote counts, giving him an increased supermajority and the power to amend the constitution.

The election turnout was 79.5%, the highest since the fall of the USSR, with strong mobilization from young voters against Orbán's government. Magyar campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, promising to rebuild Hungary's ties with the European Union and NATO. He vowed to root out corruption, restore checks and balances, and pursue those who 'plundered, looted, betrayed indebted, and ruined' his country.

Orbán conceded defeat in a tearful speech less than three hours after polls closed. His rule was marked by control of state media, gerrymandering, and erosion of the rule of law. The EU has frozen billions in funding for Hungary due to concerns over democratic values under Orbán. Magyar's victory is expected to lead to a rollback of laws that transformed Hungary into an 'illiberal democracy'.

Magyar said he would support the €90bn EU loan for Ukraine without Hungarian participation, similar to terms agreed by Orbán last December. The election result sent Hungary's forint surging to its best level against the euro in four years, while 10-year Hungarian government borrowing costs fell by half a percentage point to their lowest since 2024, and the stock market gained almost 5%.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed Magyar's win as 'a victory for fundamental freedoms', comparing Orbán’s ousting to Hungary's 1956 anti-Soviet uprising and its 1989 break with communism. The Kremlin said it was pleased that Magyar seemed ready for pragmatic dialogue with Russia, although Russian hardliners mourned Orbán’s defeat.

Magyar inherits a country in critical condition, with inflation exceeding 50% since 2020 and Hungary ranking 55th on the Economist’s Democracy Index. The task of rebuilding Hungary's democratic institutions will be daunting, as Orbán successfully enshrined his illiberalism into the foundations of the Hungarian state.

During a post-election press conference, Magyar stated he would answer if Vladimir Putin calls but emphasized that Hungary cannot change its geography. Despite this cautious stance towards Russia, Magyar framed the election as a choice between east and west, with Hungarians decisively choosing the western path. Experts suggest that without needing to appease Fidesz voters, Hungary will gradually move into the European mainstream.

Magyar has vowed to suspend state media news coverage, describing it as a 'propaganda machine,' when his government takes office around mid-May. He detailed his plans for the suspension during tense interviews with public radio and television on Wednesday. Magyar accused state media outlets of spreading fear and lies, comparing their coverage to propaganda from North Korea and Nazi-era Germany.

Magyar also reiterated his call for the Hungarian president, Tamás Sulyok, an Orbán supporter, to resign during a meeting between the two on Wednesday. He told reporters that Sulyok had agreed to 'consider' his arguments but emphasized that the Hungarian people had voted for a change of regime.

The state media interviews and the meeting with the president offered a glimpse of the challenges that lie ahead for Magyar as he seeks to use his landslide victory to dismantle Orbán’s 'illiberal democracy.' During his time in power, Orbán's Fidesz party stacked the Hungarian state, media, and judiciary with loyalists, prompting questions about how they will respond to a Tisza-led government.

Magyar said Sulyok had told him that the new parliament would be convened around May 6 or 7, meaning his government could be sworn in by mid-May or perhaps earlier. Donald Trump, one of Orbán’s staunchest global allies, has appeared to brush off the loss in his most recent comments on the vote.