With a record turnout, Hungarians chose to end Prime Minister Orbán’s 16-year rule and hand over the baton to Peter Magyar’s Tisza party, which won in a landslide.
Viktor Orbán conceded defeat on Sunday in a short speech at his campaign headquarters, in which he described the election result as “clear.”
The defeat, which will have repercussions in Washington and Moscow, will end the 16-year rule of a self-proclaimed champion of illiberal Christian democracy, a darling of American conservatives who subscribe to MAGA, an ally of the Kremlin and a proud opponent of European Union leaders in Brussels.
Why did Peter Magyar win?
Not even the support of Orbán’s… high-ranking friends, US Vice President J. D. Vance, as well as European populists such as France’s Marine Le Pen, the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders and Italy’s Matteo Salvini, who appeared in Budapest to campaign for him, was able to reverse the result.
Nor was the support from Germany’s Alice Weidel, co-chair of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, who had told Hungarians in a video: “Europe needs Viktor Orbán.”
The great populist had lost his popular touch and failed to understand that he was being undermined by some of the same failures that have weakened strong leaders around the world: rampant corruption and cronyism, a kleptocratic ruling class, and deteriorating infrastructure.
You could see and feel it at the campaign rallies, where there was a palpable enthusiasm at the opposition rallies but not at the government ones.
Take JD Vance, for example: He is completely unknown to the Hungarian public, so believing that his presence would change anything was naive at best.
What areas did Magyar target?
What really concerned voters – inflation, economic hardship and endemic corruption – remained at the heart of Magyar’s campaign.
And all of that worked well for him.
What led to Orbán’s defeat was the cost of living, the lack of economic opportunity and the lack of jobs. Hungarians’ messages about poor public services also resonated. A key message from Hungarians was that the country simply doesn’t work. And if you look at healthcare, transportation, the education system, for ordinary people the average experience was one of dilapidated conditions and increasing dysfunction.
Capitalizing on voter disillusionment, Hungary’s promises to build a “modern, European Hungary” appealed not only to young voters but also to middle-aged male workers, a significant part of Orbán’s traditional electoral base.
In fact, the 45-year-old election winner sounded a lot like Orbán in 2010, when he campaigned with similar zeal on economic issues and pledged to improve the lot of ordinary Hungarians.
Record youth turnout
Sunday’s election saw a record turnout of nearly 80%, according to the National Election Office.
The result was likely due, in part, to the huge number of young people who mobilized against Orbán. A poll showed that up to 65% of voters under 30 – many of whom had come of age as the country fell in press freedom rankings, was accused of being an “electoral dictatorship” and became the most corrupt country in the EU – planned to vote against Orbán.
On Sunday night, many of them flocked to the banks of the Danube, chanting “We did it!” while others chanted “Finish!” as they passed through the city’s metro stations.
