Farage has ensured any references to his buddy Victor Orban are erased from his X account. So, I thought it would be useful to share these just as a reminder of how close they were. ‘Orban is the future of Europe’ is my personal favourite!’. (Mark Cockerton)
After 16 years in power, Viktor Orbán has been dramatically swept from office in a political earthquake that is reverberating far beyond Budapest. Long celebrated by figures on the nationalist right, including Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Nigel Farage, Orbán’s era has come crashing down after voters handed a crushing victory to opposition leader Péter Magyar. Preliminary results with more than 98% of votes counted show Magyar’s Tisza party storming to 138 seats in Hungary’s 199-seat parliament, comfortably securing the two-thirds supermajority needed to rewrite the constitution and dismantle Orbán’s legacy.
Scenes of jubilation erupted across Budapest as thousands flooded the streets to celebrate the end of a regime widely condemned by critics as an “electoral autocracy.” Speaking to ecstatic supporters beside the Danube, with Hungary’s parliament illuminated across the river, Magyar declared: “We did it. Together we overthrew the Hungarian regime.” Car horns sounded through the capital, flags waved from car windows and chants of “Russians go home” echoed through the city, underscoring public anger at Orbán’s close relationship with Moscow and his years of obstructionism within the European Union.
Orbán, who had fashioned himself as the standard-bearer of right-wing populism across Europe and beyond, was forced into an unusually swift concession. The veteran strongman admitted the result was “clear and painful” and confirmed he had personally called Magyar to congratulate him on the victory. His fall marks a humiliating defeat not only for Fidesz but also for a political model admired by nationalist movements internationally, including allies of Trump and Farage who had long pointed to Hungary as an example of hardline conservative governance.
Magyar’s victory is expected to radically reshape Hungary’s place on the world stage. Running on a pro-European platform, he pledged to restore closer ties with Brussels, repair relations with Ukraine and move Hungary away from its dependency on Russia. He has also promised to tackle the corruption and patronage networks that flourished under Orbán, reverse controversial reforms to education and healthcare, and restore judicial independence. European leaders were quick to hail the result, with congratulations pouring in from across the continent as many framed the election as Hungary “choosing Europe” over authoritarian nationalism.
For Orbán’s international allies, the result will be seen as a major blow. Once regarded as untouchable after four successive election victories, the Hungarian leader’s downfall signals that even the most entrenched populist regimes can be brought down by public anger over corruption, economic stagnation and democratic decline. After 16 years of dominating Hungarian politics, Orbán remains as caretaker leader for now, but the message from voters could not be clearer: the experiment is over.
For supporters of people like Trump, Putin, and Farage, the warning could not be clearer.
