Péter Magyar's opposition Tisza party secured a decisive victory against Viktor Orbán's Fidesz government in Hungary, with record voter turnout on Sunday, April 13. The outcome marks a significant realignment for the Central European nation, challenging its previous isolationist stance, according to Grégoire Roos, director of Europe, Russia and Eurasia programs at Chatham House. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly congratulated Tisza, signaling renewed diplomatic potential.
Péter Magyar wasted no time articulating the depth of Hungary's challenges following his Tisza party's victory. “Our country has no time to lose,” Magyar told reporters in Budapest on Monday. He added that the nation was in a difficult state. “Hungary is in trouble. It’s been robbed, betrayed, devastated.” This stark assessment underscores the scale of the task ahead for the former Fidesz insider, who now leads the opposition.
Voters flocked to his party, ending Orbán’s 16 years in power. International reactions quickly followed. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed his satisfaction during a Sunday night call with Magyar, stating, “I’m so happy.
I think I’m happier than you.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, often the target of Orbán’s campaign rhetoric, extended congratulations to Tisza. Ukraine is ready to advance cooperation with Hungary, Zelensky said. This marks a notable shift from the previous strained relations.
For years, Viktor Orbán positioned Hungary as a bulwark against what he termed the corrupting influence of the European Union. He cultivated strong ties with the American conservative movement. Orbán, once described by Steve Bannon as “Trump before Trump,” developed a governance model that resonated with nationalist populists globally.
He presented himself as a defender of traditional values. This approach made Budapest a key European hub for national conservatives, hosting events such as Hungarian versions of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). The Trump administration openly backed Orbán’s political campaigns.
Vice President JD Vance personally stumped for him in Hungary. This support extended to the ideological infrastructure Orbán built through substantial government grants. The Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), an educational institute that critics describe as a training ground for national conservatives, received significant state funding.
Vance visited the MCC just last week. Magyar directly challenged this system. He called Orbán’s loss a “great defeat” for his American supporters. “Orbán was their poster boy,” Magyar told CNN.
He was the intellectual mastermind behind the fight against Brussels, Magyar added. Magyar made it clear his government would not continue funding these institutions. MCC and CPAC would not receive state funds under his administration. “I believe the state should never have financed them in the first place.
It was a crime,” Magyar stated. He views mixing party financing with state budget spending as a criminal offense. Institutes like MCC should be investigated by anti-corruption bodies he plans to establish, Magyar asserted.
CPAC is welcome in Budapest, he said, but not with Hungarian taxpayers’ money. Beyond domestic politics, Orbán’s government consistently obstructed European Union efforts to arm Ukraine and sanction Russia following the 2022 invasion. In December, EU leaders had agreed on a vital €90 billion ($105 billion) loan for Ukraine.
Orbán initially insisted Hungary would not contribute, then blocked the loan entirely. He cited Ukraine's slow pace in addressing an oil pipeline issue. Magyar confirmed Monday that Hungary, facing its own “very difficult” financial situation, would not contribute to the €90 billion.
However, he suggested his administration would drop the veto, aiming for coherence with previous commitments made in December. Hungary's energy dependence on Russia also deepened under Orbán. When other EU countries sought to phase out Russian oil, Hungary and Slovakia received extended deadlines.
Instead of reducing reliance, they increased it. Last year, 92% of Hungary’s crude oil imports originated from Russia. This marked a significant rise from 61% before the invasion began.
Orbán’s campaign suffered a blow days before the election when leaked calls revealed his close ties to the Kremlin. Bloomberg reported that in an October phone call, Orbán told Russian President Vladimir Putin, “in any matter where I can be of assistance, I am at your service.” Another report by investigative news organizations alleged that Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó colluded with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to weaken EU sanctions, offering to transmit EU documents through Hungary’s Moscow embassy. Magyar’s rhetoric marks a sharp departure from Orbán’s stance on Moscow.
He described Russia as a “security risk” for Europe. If he spoke with Putin, Magyar said he would tell him, “it would be nice to end the killing after four years” of war in Ukraine. This direct language signals a potential recalibration of Budapest’s foreign policy.
The Kremlin, for its part, stated Monday that it respects the election outcome. Moscow is open to dialogue with Hungary’s new leadership. Magyar noted, “If Vladimir Putin calls me, I will pick up the phone.
But I will not call him myself.”
Magyar acknowledged Hungary's continued reliance on Russia for energy needs. “We cannot change geography,” he reiterated multiple times. While Tisza would “do everything in our power to diversify our energy mix,” he left open the possibility of continued Russian oil purchases. Hungary would persist in seeking the cheapest energy sources, he explained.
This pragmatic approach highlights the economic constraints facing the new government. Europe, in contrast to Washington and Moscow, expressed relief at Orbán’s defeat. Grégoire Roos of Chatham House noted that the mood in Brussels appeared “closer to relief.” While some leaders remain wary of Magyar’s past as a Fidesz insider and his conservative leanings, he is clearly more pro-EU and less Russia-friendly than Orbán, Roos observed.
The hope, Roos suggested, is that Magyar’s Hungary will no longer be a fault line within the EU. Magyar has signaled a break from Orbán’s antagonism toward Ukraine. “Everyone in Hungary knows that Ukraine is the victim of this war,” he said Monday. He added that no one should dictate peace terms to Ukraine.
Magyar does, however, share some of Orbán's positions. He opposes fast-track EU accession for Kyiv. This view is quietly held by some of Kyiv’s staunchest backers, even if not publicly stated.
For the EU, the UK, and Ukraine, the election result is positive, Roos concluded. Fewer blockages and friendlier cooperation are expected. For Washington and Moscow, it represents a clear blow.
It removes a useful outlier for both, firmly anchoring Hungary within the EU, Roos stated. - Péter Magyar's Tisza party ended Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule in Hungary with record voter turnout. - The defeat represents a setback for US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who both supported Orbán. - Magyar pledges warmer relations with the European Union and a break from Russia, but acknowledges Hungary's energy dependence. - European leaders, including Poland's Donald Tusk and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, welcomed the outcome. Hungary’s new parliament will form within the next 30 days, ushering in a period of intense policy shifts. Magyar faces immediate domestic challenges, including boosting Hungary’s sluggish economy and weakening Fidesz’s entrenched control over media and the judiciary.
On the international stage, his administration will need to carefully balance demands from the United States, Russia, and the European Union. Observers will watch closely for concrete steps towards anti-corruption reforms and any renegotiation of energy contracts. The path Magyar plots will have consequences far beyond Hungary’s borders, potentially reshaping the geopolitical landscape of Central Europe for years to come.
Key Takeaways
— - Péter Magyar's Tisza party ended Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule in Hungary with record voter turnout.
— - The defeat represents a setback for US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who both supported Orbán.
— - Magyar pledges warmer relations with the European Union and a break from Russia, but acknowledges Hungary's energy dependence.
— - European leaders, including Poland's Donald Tusk and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, welcomed the outcome.
Source: CNN