Orban ousted after 16 years as Hungarians flock to pro-EU rival
Partial results on Sunday show the opposition party led by Peter Magyar ending Viktor Orban's tenure as Hungary's prime minister.
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BUDAPEST: Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a key opponent of European Union efforts to help Ukraine fend off Russia's invasion, lost power after 16 years on Sunday (Apr 12) as Hungarians voted in record numbers for a pro-EU course spearheaded by centre-right rival Peter Magyar.
With the results showing his win, Magyar said: "As we promised, as we hoped, today, on April 12, 2026, Hungary and several million people made history again, exactly 23 years to the day after there was a referendum on joining the European Union in Hungary."
Magyar said Orban had conceded defeat, with his Tisza party projected to win 135 mandates in the 199-seat parliament, a two-thirds majority, based on partial results.
"Prime Minister Viktor Orban just called to congratulate us on our victory," Magyar posted on social media.
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CLOSELY WATCHED IN EU & US
The vote on Sunday was closely watched across Europe and in the United States.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the landslide election victory by the Hungarian opposition Tisza party as a move by the country towards Europe.
"Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight," von der Leyen said in a post on X. "Hungary has chosen Europe. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger."
Orban, a nationalist and self-described "thorn" in the EU's side, and a defender of "illiberal democracy", is close to both US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump threw his weight behind Orban, the European Union's current longest-serving leader, and dispatched US Vice President JD Vance to stand alongside Orban days before the vote - though the US ambassador to the EU denied any US "meddling".
ORBAN FELL OUT WITH THE EU
Orban, the European Union's longest-serving leader, is a patriotic hero to supporters, but critics at home and abroad have accused him of taking Hungary on an authoritarian path.
His consolidation of executive power, new curbs on NGO activities and media freedoms, and a weakening of judicial independence led to clashes with the European Union over democratic standards, culminating in a decision to suspend billions of euros in funding for Hungary.
Surveys showed Hungarian voters were concerned with domestic issues such as healthcare and the economy, which has stagnated for the past three years.
Hungary experienced the EU's worst inflationary surge following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which lifted food prices close to EU average levels, while Hungarian wages are still third-lowest in the 27-member bloc.
MAGYAR AMASSED SUPPORT IN 2 YEARS
Magyar burst onto the scene just two years ago, promising to fight corruption and offering better public services, amassing support against a backdrop of economic stagnation, despite an electoral system skewed in favour of Orban's Fidesz party.
Both camps have alleged foreign interference during the campaign in the central European country of 9.5 million people.
During his visit, Vance attacked the alleged interference in Hungary of Brussels "bureaucrats", while Trump has promised to bring US "economic might" to Hungary if Orban's party secured victory.
"MAJOR CRISIS"
After casting his ballot, Orban repeated warnings of a "major crisis" awaiting Europe.
"Fortunately, we have a lot of friends in the world. From America to China to Russia and the Turkish world," he said.
Orban focused on making Ukraine the central topic of his campaign, portraying the neighbouring country, which is fighting off a Russian invasion, as "hostile" to Hungary.
He also vowed to continue his crackdown against "fake civil society organisations, bought journalists, judges (and) politicians".
Maria Toth, a 31-year-old stay-at-home mother of two, told AFP at a Budapest polling station earlier in the day: "I feel Hungary is under siege from so many directions and big powers like Brussels are trying to dictate how we live," she added.
But with Magyar's victory, his supporters gathered to celebrate.
"I'm really excited. I came to this event full of hope... I'm optimistic about the change," Orsolya Rozgonyi, a 28-year-old HR manager, told AFP.
The winner, Magyar, told crowds: "We did it... Together, we brought down the Orban regime".
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