Viktor Orbán ousted as Hungary Prime Minister after 16 years in power

In a shocking election outcome with worldwide ramifications, Hungarian voters overthrew long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday after 16 years in office, rejecting the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement he represented in favor of a pro-European opponent.

A 45-year-old former party insider persuaded the majority of Hungarians to remove Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule, leaving a system denounced as an "electoral autocracy" in ruins.

"We did it," Páv Magyar declared to a group of enthusiastic fans along the Danube River, which overlooked the splendid parliament in Budapest. "Together we overthrew the Hungarian regime."

His Tisza party is headed for an incredible 138 seats, according to preliminary election results based on greater than 98% of tabulated votes. Orbán's Fidesz has 55 seats, while the far-right Our Homeland has six. 

In addition to overturning Orbán's increasingly unpopular home policies, the landslide will allow Magyar to reset Hungary's international relations.

Orbán, a strong supporter of both Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, suffered a devastating blow and swiftly acknowledged defeat following what he described as a "painful" election outcome. Only a few days prior, U.S. Vice President JD Vance had traveled to Hungary with the intention of assisting Orbán in crossing the finish line.

Former Orbán supporter and election winner Páv Magyar has promised to mend Hungary's strained connections with NATO and the European Union, which were strained under Orbán. He campaigned against corruption and on common topics like public transportation and health care. Leaders in Europe congratulated Magyar right away. 

His win was anticipated to change the political landscape of the EU, as Orbán has regularly vetoed important measures, upending the bloc and raising fears that he was trying to dismantle it from inside.

For two years, Magyar led his growing movement across towns, villages, and cities, inspiring Hungarians who were fed up with the corruption and cronyism that had spread throughout Hungary over the years.Former Orbán supporter and election winner Páv Magyar has promised to mend Hungary's strained connections with NATO and the European Union, which were strained under Orbán. He campaigned against corruption and on common topics like public transportation and health care. Leaders in Europe congratulated Magyar right away. 

His win was anticipated to change the political landscape of the EU, as Orbán has regularly vetoed important measures, upending the bloc and raising fears that he was trying to dismantle it from inside.

For two years, Magyar led his growing movement across towns, villages, and cities, inspiring Hungarians who were fed up with the corruption and cronyism that had spread throughout Hungary over the years.

"Never before in the history of democratic Hungary have so many people voted—and no single party has ever received such a strong mandate," he declared on Sunday night following a record 79.5% of voters casting ballots. 

Sweeping majorities and four consecutive election victories helped to establish Orbán's authority, but in a couple of minutes, it was evident that it was gone.

The Tisza leader sent an amazing message on Facebook, saying, "Viktor Orbán just called me on the phone and congratulated us on our victory," while pro-Magyar supporters waited impatiently in the square on the Buda side of the Danube.

Only thirty percent of the votes had been tabulated at that moment, and there was little time to process what had just transpired. 

However, a little while later, Orbán himself showed up on a stage in a conference center a mile downriver on the opposite side of the Danube, accompanied by his dejected-looking Fidesz party colleagues.He thanked the estimated 2.5 million Hungarians who supported him, saying, "The outcome of the election is evident and painful." "The days ahead of us are for us to heal our wounds." As word got out to Magyar followers, Tisza activists gave one another hugs at the neighboring hotel that had turned into the party headquarters.

Magyar has pledged to undo reforms made to health and education during the Orbán administration, combat corruption, reinstate the judiciary's independence, and abolish the much-despised NER system of patronage, which served to enrich party supporters and waste public funds. 

He need a two-thirds majority of 133 of the 199 MPs in the Hungarian parliament to make the constitutional amendments. Tisza is headed for 138 even if the final results are still pending.

It will also have an impact on far-right movements worldwide, who see Orbán as an example of how nationalist populism can be used to wage culture wars and use state authority to weaken opponents.

Whether Magyar's Tisza party will have the two-thirds majority in parliament, which would provide it with the numbers required for significant legislative reforms, is still up in the air. With 93% of the vote counted, it appeared certain to win 94 of Hungary's 106 voting districts, with more than 53% support compared to 37% for Orbán's ruling Fidesz party. 

Orban told supporters, "I congratulated the victorious party." "We will defend our homeland and the Hungarian people against opposition."

Magyar had been advising his followers to get ready for a regime change, and now that they had it, the celebrations really got underway, and the champagne was flowing. Women waved Hungarian flags via open sun roofs as cars honked their horns throughout Budapest.

Pro-Orbán state media are another target for Magyar. Up until now, the M1 TV channel and previously independent websites that were gradually acquired by Fidesz sympathizers have dutifully followed the party line. 

M1 aired a speech given by Magyar shortly after the vote, seemingly unsure of what to do next. Although he had been optimistic about winning at the time, the speech was now outdated because he had already triumphed.

In the other world, Magyar was drawing sizable crowds wherever he went, supported by reputable pollsters who reported that his advantage over his opponent was growing. 

Only one of those two universes was real when they collided on Sunday night.

Before taking the platform with his party mates by his sides, Magyar made his way gently through the crowds.To shouts of "Ria-Ria-Hungaria!" he addressed the crowd, saying, "You performed a miracle today, Hungary made history today."


He compared their electoral triumph to the 1848 Hungarian revolution and the 1956 rebellion against Soviet rule. 

Orbán used to speak out against Soviet occupation, but he has since gotten close to Putin, and his defense of cheap Russian gasoline and oil has made him a very unpopular leader in the EU, which has attempted to reduce its reliance on Russian imports. Additionally, Orbán has broken an EU deal to lend Ukraine €90 billion (£79 billion; $105 billion).

Moscow desired to maintain its ties with Budapest, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.The decision has been made by the Hungarians. We honor this decision. We anticipate maintaining our very practical communication with Hungary's incoming government," he informed reporters. "Probably we should be patient and wait to see what happens."


However, he was cited by Alexander Yunashev, a reporter for the Kremlin pool, as stating that even after engaging in "dialogue" with Orban, Moscow continued to view Hungary as an adversary due to its support for sanctions against Russia. "We don't congratulate adversarial nations," Peskov stated.

From his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist now adored by the world's far-right, Orbán, the EU's longest-serving leader and one of its greatest enemies, had a long journey. 

The EU will watch to see if Magyar modifies Hungary's stance on Ukraine. While fostering tight ties with Putin and refusing to reduce Hungary's reliance on Russian energy imports, Orbán repeatedly thwarted EU attempts to assist the neighboring nation in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion.


There have been allegations that Hungary was acting on Russia's behalf within the group when it was revealed that a senior member of Orbán's ministry often discussed the substance of EU negotiations with Moscow.

Orbán is despised by proponents of liberal democracy and the rule of law, while members of Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign view his government and his Fidesz political party as shining examples of conservative, anti-globalist ideology in action. 

Marcell Mehringer, 21, stated that he was voting in Budapest "primarily so that Hungary will finally be a so-called European country, and so that young people, and really everyone, will do their fundamental civic duty to unite this nation a bit and to break down these boundaries borne of hatred."

Strained relationship with the EU

Orbán corrupted numerous Hungarian institutions, imposed severe crackdowns on media freedom and minority rights, and was accused of embezzling substantial sums of money into the coffers of his linked economic elite throughout his 16 years as prime minister—a charge he refutes. 

Additionally, he severely damaged Hungary's ties to the EU. Despite Hungary's population of 9.5 million, making it one of the smallest EU nations, Orbán has frequently used his veto power to prevent policies that need unanimity.

Most recently, Putin prevented Ukraine from receiving a 90-billion-euro ($104 billion) EU loan, leading his allies to accuse him of embezzling the vital assistance.

Among the first European politicians to applaud Magyar's "glorious victory" was Donald Tusk, the prime minister of Poland, who added the Hungarian phrase "Ruszkik Haza" (Russians return home). 

In order to strengthen Hungary's 1,000-year alliance with Poland, the Tisza leader promised that his first overseas journey as prime minister would be to Warsaw.


Additionally, he has pledged to fly to Brussels in order to convince the European Commission to release up to €17 billion in funds that have been frozen due to the inability to combat corruption and uphold judicial independence. 

After a long campaign that inspired large crowds across the nation with up to seven speeches every day, Magyar is gaining traction.

In his last campaign address on Saturday night, his vanquished opponent sounded worn out and cynical, as though he anticipated the outcome. 

It is hard to predict what would happen to Fidesz without Orbán, who is currently 62 years old and has not quit as party leader.

He will continue to serve as Hungary's caretaker leader for the time being while he and his party mend their wounds.