The parliamentary elections in Hungary have yielded a result that, not long ago, many considered unimaginable. The opposition party Tisza, led by Péter Magyar, has clearly won, and the incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has been in power for sixteen years, has conceded defeat. According to preliminary results, after counting nearly 99 percent of the votes, Tisza is expected to secure 138 seats in the 199-member parliament, well above the 133 needed for a constitutional majority. Fidesz is projected to receive 55 seats, and the far-right party Our Homeland will have six representatives, according to the Czech Television.

The elections were marked by an extraordinary level of public mobilization. Voter turnout reached 79.56 percent, the highest figure since the restoration of the pluralistic political system. Over 5.8 million people went to the polls, a record since the fall of the socialist regime. In 2022, the turnout was 62.9 percent. For many in Hungarian society, the elections were seen as a referendum on the country's future direction: either maintaining strong ties with major powers or moving towards restoring relations with the EU.

Who is Péter Magyar?

Magyar is not a newcomer to Hungarian politics; he is a former insider who knows the system from the inside. In his victory speech, he pledged to be a loyal ally within the EU and NATO and wants to restore cooperation within the Visegrád Group. He committed to dismantling the Orbán system, fighting corruption, and restoring the independence of the judiciary. He called for the resignation of the heads of leading state institutions, including the Constitutional Court and the media authority. He told the people: "We did it. Tisza and Hungary won these elections." His first foreign trips are planned for Vienna and then Brussels, where he intends to advocate for the resumption of European funds flowing to Hungary.

Orbán: "We will never give up"

Orbán acknowledged his defeat the same evening. He stated that the result was painful for Fidesz, thanked his supporters, and emphasized that the party received votes from two and a half million voters. "Whatever happens, we will serve the country even in opposition," he told his supporters in Budapest, adding: "We will never give up. We never give up."

A tumultuous campaign: Trump, Zelensky, and toxic posters

The pre-election campaign was exceptionally intense and even involved international politics. In February 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly supported Orbán. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a visit to Hungary in February, stated that Hungarian exemptions from Russian sanctions were entirely dependent on the personal relationship between Trump and Orbán. At the end of March, Trump again supported Orbán on his Truth Social platform, where he described him as a strong leader, a fighter, and his friend. In the final week of the campaign, U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance traveled to Hungary to support Orbán's campaign, accusing the European Union of foreign interference in the elections.

The campaign also included direct attacks on neighboring countries. Orbán had posters displayed featuring Volodymyr Zelensky with the caption "Let's not allow Zelensky to laugh last." Zelensky responded by saying that if Orbán continues to block the EU's 90 billion euro financial aid package for Ukraine, he will provide his address to Ukrainian soldiers. A parliamentary delegation from the Council of Europe, which visited Hungary in March 2026, stated in its declaration that a toxic atmosphere prevailed in the country and that the democratic character of the country itself was at stake in these elections.

Reactions from world leaders: "The European heart beats stronger"

The results sparked an immediate wave of congratulations from across Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on the X platform that ""the European heart is beating stronger in Hungary today,"" and that the country had chosen a European future. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he had spoken to the Hungarian victor by phone and congratulated him, stating that France welcomes the victory of democratic participation and the commitment of the Hungarian people to the values of the European Union. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his hope for cooperation in the service of a united Europe. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the victory of Tísa as a historic moment not only for Hungary but also for European democracy.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has long criticized Orbán, said: ""Back together! A glorious victory, dear friends."" In a jab at Orbán's ties to Moscow, he wrote in Hungarian: ""Russians, go home!" Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo wrote that the election result would allow Hungary to ""return to the European community of values and security as a constructive player."" Ukrainian President Zelenskyy also sent his congratulations, despite having been the target of Orbán's attacks during the campaign.

Slovakia: Fico offers cautious congratulations

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Orbán's closest Central European ally, took a more cautious stance. Fico congratulated the victor but did not mention the Hungarian leader by name in his post. He emphasized primarily economic interests: ""I believe that Slovakia and Hungary, and the entire Central Europe, still have a great interest in restoring the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline."

Czech Politicians: Fiala attacks Babiš, Babiš congratulates, Macinka mourns

The Hungarian elections immediately resonated in the Czech political debate, revealing clear fault lines. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who publicly supported Orbán before the elections, congratulated the Hungarian victor after his defeat. According to Czech Television, he wrote that the chairman of Tísa had won the trust of most Hungarians and that high expectations were associated with him, and that he would always cooperate with anyone chosen by the voters.

Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček of ANO commented cautiously: ""It is necessary to congratulate, it is a convincing victory,"" he told Czech Television, adding that the result was due to, after sixteen years, ""voter fatigue."" At the same time, he refrained from excessive enthusiasm: ""I don't think he has completely broken away ideologically from what Orbán was doing."

Foreign Minister Petr Macinka of the Motorists party expressed himself more strongly. For CNN Prima News, he said that ""Viktor Orbán is certainly an ally that our government is losing,"" but that the Czech Republic wants to have a special relationship with the future Hungarian government. He also pointed out sensitive issues: ""I have heard toxic words. We will closely monitor whether a debate about the Beneš decrees is being started and how it will be conducted. When I have the opportunity to meet with the new minister, we should clarify this so that we can have a special relationship."

President Petr Pavel emphasized the record voter turnout as a victory for democracy and adopted a cautious tone: ""It will depend very much on how the winner of the elections will address all the challenges we face. There are many of them. Elections are always a euphoric period, but after them comes sobering and real work that does not wait. Not only Hungary, but all of us have a lot of work to do, whether it is related to the European Union or the North Atlantic Alliance."

Former Prime Minister Petr Fiala of the ODS party was the most outspoken of Czech politicians, immediately seizing on the result as a domestic political opportunity. He wrote on the X network: "Viktor Orbán is leaving his position as the leader of Hungary. This is great news for Europe, but bad news for Babiš and Macinka." He added: "I am glad that populism and subservience to Putin have been defeated. I believe that this defeat marks the beginning of the end of this style of politics throughout Central Europe. And I believe that after Hungary, it will be followed by Slovakia and the Czech Republic." He also shared a video on X with the title "A Difficult Evening in Průhonice" - a montage of Babiš's photos with Orbán set to a song by Michal David, according to the Ekonomický deník newspaper.

The leader of the Pirates, Zdeněk Hřib, wrote: "Orbán has lost! We now believe that Hungary has chosen a return to democracy, the values of the rule of law, support for families, and a state with a future for young people. After years of rapprochement with Russia, there is finally an opportunity for change." He also stated, according to Czech Television, that the opposition's victory could mean an end to blocking EU sanctions against Russia and greater support for a common European defense.

The leader of STAN, Vít Rakušan, used the results as a direct message to Czech voters: "I am confident that we too will be able to get rid of Babiš and the nationalists in the next elections and defend a full-fledged democracy," he wrote, promising that his movement would work towards that goal.

The leader of the Christian Democrats, Marek Výborný, congratulated Tisza and pointed out that his movement belongs to the European People's Party. "May he use his large majority to govern Hungary well and restore good relations with its neighbors. Welcome back, Hungary, to the heart of Europe!" he wrote, according to Czech Television.

The leader of ODS, Martin Kupka, stated: "Hungary is opening a symbolic new chapter with Péter Magyar. After years of rapprochement with the Kremlin and controversial steps towards European partners, a period is beginning in which Hungary will strengthen cooperation within Europe."

Former Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský assessed the situation directly: "To me, it seems like a slow revolution." He added: "It is clear that when people's economic situation deteriorates - and Hungary has fallen to the economic bottom - they are no longer interested in conservative values."

What's next?

Magyar faces a huge challenge. If he truly achieves a constitutional majority, he will be able to implement far-reaching constitutional changes, but after 16 years of Fidesz rule, the party has its people in various institutions, courts, and other positions, as warned by the British newspaper The Guardian. Magyar has pledged that "those who have defrauded the Hungarian state will be held accountable," and has promised to establish a system of checks and balances. The results of the elections were immediately felt by the Hungarian economy - the forint strengthened significantly against the euro and the dollar during the vote counting.

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