Budapest (Web Desk/Agencies): Hungary’s long serving premier Viktor Orbán has acknowledged defeat in the parliamentary elections after early official tallies pointed to a sweeping win for Péter Magyar and his Tisza movement.
As counting progressed on Sunday, Magyar shared on social media that Orbán had phoned him to offer congratulations on the result.
According to near-complete results with 97.35 percent of polling stations reported, the centre-right Tisza party captured 138 seats in the 199-member legislature, securing 53.6 percent of the vote. In contrast, Orbán’s nationalist Fidesz party managed only 55 seats with 37.8 percent support.
Speaking to a large crowd gathered along the Danube in Budapest, Magyar hailed the outcome as a turning point, saying voters had changed the course of the country’s history. He stressed that citizens had chosen to take responsibility for their nation’s future and promised to work towards unity.
Magyar described the projected two-thirds majority as a powerful endorsement from the electorate. Meanwhile, Hungary’s election authorities reported turnout surpassing 77 percent by early evening, the highest recorded since the country’s transition from communism.
The change in leadership is expected to carry significant consequences not only for Hungary but also for the European Union (EU) and developments related to Ukraine.
Analysts believe the shift could end Budapest’s confrontational stance within the bloc and potentially clear the way for a €90 billion support package for Ukraine that had previously been held up.
Observers say Hungary is now likely to move closer to the broader European consensus, strengthening ties with Western partners. Orbán’s departure may also reduce the influence of Vladimir Putin within the EU by removing a key ally.
The outcome is also expected to echo among conservative political groups globally, including followers of Donald Trump in the United States. In the days leading up to the vote, US Vice President JD Vance had visited Hungary to back Orbán and criticised what he described as interference from Brussels officials.
Within Hungary, a Tisza-led administration could pave the way for reforms aimed at addressing corruption and re-establishing the independence of state institutions, particularly the judiciary.
However, the extent of these changes will hinge on whether the party secures the two-thirds majority required to amend constitutional provisions introduced during Orbán’s tenure.
During the campaign, Orbán framed the election as a stark choice between stability and conflict, warning that a Magyar victory could pull Hungary into Russia’s war in Ukraine—an assertion the opposition leader repeatedly dismissed.