Hungarian voters turned out strongly on Sunday to hand a landslide victory to pro-Europe candidate Peter Magyar, who has promised to steer the country away from its far-right, authoritarian course under Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party is set to gain 138 seats in Hungary’s 199-seat parliament, giving it five seats more than the two-thirds needed to push through reforms the 45-year-old former Orbán loyalist promised during the campaign.
The victory came despite Orbán’s control of Hungary’s public media, gerrymandering of voting districts, which required Tisza to garner an estimated 5% more votes than Orbán’s Fidesz party, and efforts by both European far-right parties and the US to urge voters to keep the government in power.
According to the national election office, turnout reached almost 80% – a record number in any vote in post-communist Hungary.
What did Peter Magyar promise?
In a speech to supporters after his landslide victory, Magyar reiterated campaign promises to rebuild ties with Brussels and NATO, which had deteriorated badly during Orbán’s rule, and to vigorously fight corruption that has flourished under the populist leader.
“If a two-thirds majority allows us to amend the Constitution, we will restore the system of checks and balances,” Magyar said.
He said, “We will join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and guarantee the democratic functioning of our country. We will never allow anyone to freely detain or abandon Hungary.”
He said, “Tonight, the truth prevailed over the lies. Today, we won because the Hungarians did not ask what their homeland could do for them – they asked what they could do for their homeland. You got the answer. And you followed it.”
Many in the crowd chanted “Europe, Europe” during his speech.
Among other things, Magyar has promised to carry out reforms that could potentially unlock billions of dollars in EU funding, capped by concerns in Brussels about Orbán’s dismantling of the rule of law and repression of media freedom. He has said that he also wants Hungary to adopt the euro as its currency.
However, some diplomats and analysts say the new government needs to show concrete results from its reform campaign before releasing the funds, which would provide a much-needed boost to the country’s nearly stagnant economy.
Magyar’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights, which Orbán had severely weakened, is also unclear, as he said little about the issue during his campaign – a move that observers said was intended to sideline conservative voters. However, he has said that he supports equality of all before the law.
European leaders, Ukraine welcome Magyar victory
Magyar’s victory has been hailed by the EU and many of Europe’s leaders, who expect the change in government to lead not only to internal reforms in Hungary but also to a radical change in policy towards Ukraine.
Although Magyar, like Orban, denies sending arms to Ukraine and opposes the country’s rapid EU integration, he is unlikely to repeat his predecessor’s condemnatory rhetoric toward Kiev.
Orbán repeatedly used his veto to thwart EU efforts to support Kiev in a war against a full-scale invasion by Russia, and he was one of the few leaders of the bloc to maintain close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also refused to end Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy imports, which helps finance Russia’s illegality.
This Moscow-friendly approach was rejected by many in Hungary as well, and “Ruszík Háza!” or “Go home Russian!” – a phrase widely used during Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet revolution – was heard widely in Budapest as Orbán’s defeat became clear.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the Magyar victory over Ax in English and Hungarian, saying “The heart of Europe is beating stronger in Hungary tonight” as the results were announced.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the Magyars on social media, saying, “”I look forward to working with you. “Let us unite for a strong, secure and above all united Europe.”
French President Emmanuel Macron posted on Twitter that “France welcomes this victory for democratic participation, for the commitment of the Hungarian people to EU values and for Hungary in Europe.”
“Today Europe wins and European values win,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday, congratulating Hungarian citizens on a “historic election”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also congratulated the Magyars on their “great victory”.
“We are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both countries, as well as for peace, security and stability in Europe,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
Edited by: Louis Olofse