Liberals throughout Europe are quite pleased with the recent election outcomes in Hungary.
When nearly all votes were tallied, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party had captured only 55 out of 199 parliamentary seats. This marks the end of Orbán’s lengthy 16-year period as prime minister, despite having received an endorsement from President Donald Trump just a week prior.
“Hungary is sending a very clear signal against right-wing populism,” someone noted.
President Trump had described Orbán as “a true friend, a warrior, a winner, and I fully support him in his re-election as Prime Minister.” This sentiment was shared just days ago.
On the other hand, the Tisza party, led by Piotr Magyar—who previously worked under Orbán—managed to secure 138 seats. Meanwhile, the conservative nationalist My Fatherland Movement won a mere six seats.
With this supermajority, it seems Tisa could potentially revise the country’s constitution and dismantle the legacy left by Fidesz.
Tisa’s manifesto reportedly pushes for a more pro-European Union and pro-NATO stance, along with a commitment to promote the adoption of the euro as Hungary’s national currency.
The excitement among Europe’s liberal leaders was evident at the news of Orbán’s government coming to an end, especially given his nationalist, anti-immigration stance and pro-family policies. These policies had significant repercussions, leading the European Union to reject Hungary’s requests for billions in funding.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pointed out in a recent survey that he holds the lowest approval rating among the world’s 24 democratically elected leaders, describing the election results as a “huge defeat” for right-wing populism, as reported.
“Hungary sent a very clear signal to the whole world against right-wing populism. Yesterday was… a good day in that respect,” Merz commented. He noted that these results showed a strong resistance to Russian propaganda and foreign interference in the electoral process.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, remarked that “Hungary has chosen Europe,” indicating that the nation is returning to its European path and that the Union would emerge stronger.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the Hungarian people’s commitment to democratic values and European principles.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy seemed to embrace this shift as well, expressing hopes for better neighborly relations and cooperation with Hungary. He emphasized that European nations should work together for stability.
Orbán’s administration had often provoked ire from Europe’s liberal factions by rejecting EU immigration policies and pushing back against LGBT rights.
Magyar took to Facebook to state, “For the next four years, I will work for a free, European, functional, and humane Hungary.”
