BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat Sunday after what he called a ″painful″ election result, ending 16 years in office for a powerful figure in the far-right movement allied with U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Partial official results showed opposition leader Peter Magyar’s party dominating the vote, in a bombshell election result with repercussions around Europe and beyond.
‘’Thank you, Hungary!’’ Magyar posted on X, as thousands of his supporters thronged the banks of the Danube in Budapest.
Across town, Orban told his followers that “I congratulated the victorious party.’’
“We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well,’’ he said.
With 60% of the vote counted, Magyar’s Tisza party had more than 52% support to 38% for Orban’s governing Fidesz party. That proportion will change as more votes are counted.
It’s a major blow for Orban, the European Union’s longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists, who has traveled a long road from his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global far-right.
The parties of both Orban and Magyar said they had received reports of electoral violations, suggesting some results could be disputed by both sides.
Turnout by 6:30 p.m. was over 77%, according to the National Election Office, a record number in any election in Hungary’s post-Communist history.
“I’m asking our supporters and all Hungarians: Let’s stay peaceful, cheerful, and if the results confirm our expectations, let’s throw a big, Hungarian carnival,” Magyar said.
Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, said the record high turnout showed that “Hungarian democracy is extremely strong.”
Orban has repeatedly frustrated EU efforts to support Ukraine in its war against Russia’s full-scale invasion, while cultivating close ties to Putin and refusing to end Hungary’s dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports.
Recent revelations have shown a top member of his government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, raising accusations that Hungary was acting on Russia’s behalf within the bloc.
The election was closely watched in countries around Europe and beyond, which is a testament to the outsize role Orban occupies in far-right populist politics worldwide.
Members of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement are among those who see Orban’s government and his Fidesz political party as shining examples of conservative, anti-globalist politics in action, while he is reviled by advocates of liberal democracy and the rule of law.
Trump has repeatedly endorsed the Hungarian leader, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a two-day visit to Hungarylast week meant to help push Orban over the finish line.
During his 16 years as prime minister, Orban launched harsh crackdowns on minority rights and media freedoms, subverted many of Hungary’s institutions and was accused of siphoning large sums of money into the coffers of his allied business elite, an allegation he denies.
He also heavily strained Hungary’s relationship with the EU. Although Hungary is one of the smaller EU countries, with a population of 9.5 million, Orban has repeatedly used his veto to block decisions that require unanimity.
Spike and McNeil write for the Associated Press. AP journalists Bela Szandelszky, Marko Drobnjakovic and Florent Bajrami contributed to this report.
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