On the evening of April 12, after the completion of parliamentary elections in Hungary, Viktor Orbán admitted the defeat of his Fidesz party. He addressed his supporters in Budapest:
The election results are not yet final, but they are clear and understandable. The election result is painful for us, but it is unambiguous. We were not given the responsibility and opportunity to rule the country. I have already congratulated the winner.
Leader of the opposition TISA party, Peter Magyar, also spoke to his supporters, announcing his victory. “Together we replaced the Orban regime, together we liberated Hungary, and we took back our country,” he said.
European politicians congratulate the Hungarian on his victory. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “Hungary chose Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. The country is returning to its European path. The Union is becoming stronger.”
Orban led Hungary for 16 years. He is considered one of Putin’s main partners in Europe. Russian political strategists helped Fidesz in the current elections. But, as Meduza sources reported, on the eve of the vote, Moscow assumed that Orban’s party would lose.
Donald Trump has actively spoken in support of Orban. He said the United States was ready to contribute to Hungary’s “prosperity” if Orban remained prime minister.
45-year-old Peter Magyar is a centre-right politician calling for the restoration of relations with Europe. On the issue of support for Ukraine, the TISA party takes a cautious position – for example, they are against Ukraine’s rapid accession to the European Union.
Turnout in Hungary’s current parliamentary elections was the highest in the country’s history: around 80%. According to preliminary data, the TISA party is in the lead.