The Associated Press reported that Hungarian voters on Sunday delivered a decisive defeat to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, ending 16 years in power and handing his challenger, Péter Magyar, an outcome AP described as a bombshell with wider political repercussions. Orbán conceded defeat quickly after what he called a painful election result, and Magyar emerged from the long-ruled camp to present himself as a pro-European alternative.
As vote counting progressed, AP reported that turnout reached nearly 80%, with the National Election Office citing it as a record in Hungary’s post-Communist history. On the streets after the result began to solidify, supporters in Budapest celebrated with horns and anti-government songs while crowds marched. Some revelers chanted “Ruszkik haza!” or “Russians go home!,” a phrase linked to Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet revolution and, AP reported, one that had gained currency amid Orbán’s drift toward Moscow.
Orbán, AP reported, framed his concession in terms of serving in opposition, telling followers, “I congratulated the victorious party, “We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition.” Earlier in the campaign, Magyar positioned his rise as a break from Orbán’s political trajectory—AP described Magyar as a former loyalist who broke with Fidesz in 2024 and formed the Tisza party—while promising changes aimed at everyday governance issues such as health care and public transport.
In a victory speech to tens of thousands of supporters along the Danube, AP reported that Magyar said, “Tonight, truth prevailed over lies. Today, we won because Hungarians didn’t ask what their homeland could do for them — they asked what they could do for their homeland. You found the answer. And you followed through.” AP said Magyar’s campaign message emphasized that voters were making a choice that would reshape Hungary’s direction, and the celebrations that followed reflected that framing.
The election also carried consequences for the European Union, where Orbán had frequently used vetoes to block decisions requiring unanimity, even as Hungary’s population is smaller than those of many other member states, AP reported. One example AP highlighted was Orbán’s move to block a 90-billion euro ($104 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, prompting European partners to accuse him of hijacking critical aid. AP said the shift in leadership raised questions over how Hungary would approach Ukraine going forward, particularly after years in which Orbán repeatedly frustrated EU efforts to support the neighboring country in its war against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
AP reported that Magyar pledged to rebuild Hungary’s relationships with both the European Union and NATO, and European leaders quickly congratulated him after the result. The stakes, AP said, extended beyond Hungary because Orbán had been seen by far-right movements globally as an example of nationalist populism using state power to undermine opponents. Within the bloc, AP said concerns had included whether Orbán sought to break the EU from inside—an approach that had contributed to his reputation as the EU’s longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists.
AP’s reporting also described how Magyar’s path to power depended on institutional and political conditions inside Hungary. With 93% of the vote counted, AP reported that Tisza had more than 53% support to 37% for Fidesz, and it looked set to win 94 of Hungary’s 106 voting districts, while leaving uncertainty about whether Tisza would secure a two-thirds majority in parliament needed for major legislative changes.
Alongside the domestic dynamics, AP said the campaign unfolded under significant external pressure and influence concerns, including reporting by AP and other outlets about Russian secret services allegedly plotting to interfere in and tip the election in Orbán’s favor. AP also reported that Orbán accused Ukraine and Hungary’s allies in the EU of seeking to interfere to install a pro-Ukraine government, while AP described recent revelations that a top member of Orbán’s government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, drawing accusations that Hungary was acting on Russia’s behalf within the bloc.