{"id":47688,"date":"2026-04-13T12:10:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T19:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=47688"},"modified":"2026-04-13T12:11:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T19:11:39","slug":"hungary-has-chosen-europe-as-voters-end-16-straight-years-of-orbans-far-right-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/04\/13\/hungary-has-chosen-europe-as-voters-end-16-straight-years-of-orbans-far-right-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Hungary Has Chosen Europe\u2019 as Voters End 16 Straight Years of Orb\u00e1n\u2019s Far-Right Rule"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Jubilant<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jubilant Hungarians wave flags to celebrate the resounding Tisza win in parliamentary elections on April 12, 2026 in Budapest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Photo by Sean Gallup\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEurope has always chosen Hungary,\u201d said the head of the European Union. \u201cTogether, we are stronger.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brett Wilkins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apr 12, 2026 (CommonDreams.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n on Sunday conceded defeat to conservative European lawmaker Peter Magyar in parliamentary elections that ended 16 years of increasingly authoritarian Christian nationalist rule amid overt interference from the Trump administration<\/a> and alleged covert meddling by Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe election result is not final yet, but it is understandable and clear,\u201d Orb\u00e1n said. \u201cThe election result is painful for us, but clear. The responsibility and possibility of governing was not given to us. I have congratulated the winner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RECOMMENDED…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Vance<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vance Campaigns for Orb\u00e1n as Polls Show Hungary\u2019s Authoritarian Leader in Danger of Being Ousted<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Hungarian<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Human Rights Watch to Hungary: Arrest Netanyahu on Sight<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/strong>\u201cWe will serve our country and the Hungarian nation from the opposition,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magyar, who leads the socially conservative but democratic Tisza Party, said on social media<\/a> that \u201cjust now, Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n has congratulated me on our victory in a phone call.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tisza is projected to win 135 seats in the 199-seat Orsz\u00e1ggy\u0171l\u00e9s, or Parliament, with nearly half of all votes counted, according to the national election office. Orb\u00e1n\u2019s Fidesz party is projected to control 57 seats, based on results as of Sunday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magyar had promised<\/a> that \u201cstep by step, brick by brick, we are taking back our homeland and building a new country, a sovereign, modern, European Hungary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domestic and international critics have long accused Orb\u00e1n of systematically eroding Hungary\u2019s democratic institutions, tightening his grip over the country\u2019s political system, and consolidating control over much of the media to strengthen Fidesz\u2019s rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After serving a single term as prime minister from 1998-2002, Orb\u00e1n was elected again in 2010 and served four consecutive terms, thanks to passage by Fidesz-led lawmakers of the so-called \u201cFundamental Law<\/a>\u201d and other illiberal measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human rights<\/a> deteriorated markedly during Orb\u00e1n\u2019s tenure, especially for LGBTQ<\/a>+ people, migrants<\/a>, women, and Roma. The European Union<\/a> has withheld billions of dollars in funding in response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EU leaders have condemned Orb\u00e1n\u2019s rule, calling<\/a> his government a \u201chybrid regime of electoral autocracy.\u201d Orb\u00e1n describes it as \u201cilliberal democracy,<\/a>\u201d while touting its universal appeal to international conservatives, including<\/a> US President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

European leaders also bristled at Orban\u2019s warm personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin<\/a>, although the Hungarian leader did condemn Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine<\/a> and voted along with the rest of the 27-nation EU to impose economic sanctions<\/a> on Moscow<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia is accused<\/a> of trying to influence the outcome of the election in favor of Fidesz via a coordinated online disinformation campaign. At a massive election eve rally and concert in Budapest, thousands of attendees chanted in unison, \u201cRussians go home!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/embed.bsky.app\/embed\/did:plc:nb6uhiglzowsdcbgwv2itwa7\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mj6rzlvk322q?id=5891540640476465&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.commondreams.org%252Fnews%252F2026-hungarian-election&colorMode=system<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump and senior members of his administration had openly backed Orb\u00e1n, with the president promising<\/a> \u201cto use the full economic might of the United States<\/a> to strengthen Hungary\u2019s economy\u201d if the prime minister was reelected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US Vice President JD Vance<\/a> traveled to Budapest last week to campaign<\/a> for Orb\u00e1n. While decrying what he called \u201cdisgraceful\u201d interference by the EU\u2014of which Hungary is a member\u2014Vance added that he wanted to \u201chelp as much as I can possibly help\u201d to secure Orb\u00e1n\u2019s reelection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/embed.bsky.app\/embed\/did:plc:t6ubj2wlhc34awzcymh3qpur\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mjd5e5doks2e?id=06703014301326238&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.commondreams.org%252Fnews%252F2026-hungarian-election&colorMode=system<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orb\u00e1n has also accused<\/a> Ukraine of election interference, although he has provided no evidence supporting his claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to alleged foreign meddling, Magyar said on social media that \u201cthis is our country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHungarian history is not written in Washington<\/a>, Moscow, or Brussels\u2014it is written in Hungary\u2019s streets and squares,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numerous world leaders congratulated Magyar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEurope\u2019s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight,\u201d European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said<\/a> on social media. \u201cHungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. Together, we are stronger. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said: \u201cThe Hungarian people have decided. My heartfelt congratulations on your electoral success. I am looking forward to working with you. Let\u2019s join forces for a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

French President Emmanuel Macron<\/a> wrote on X that \u201cFrance<\/a> welcomes what has been a victory in terms of people taking part in the democratic process, and a victory which shows the attachment of the Hungarian people to the values of the European Union and for Hungary\u2019s role in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson cheered \u201cTisza\u2019s historic victory in the Hungarian election!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI look forward to working closely with you\u2014as allies and EU Members,\u201d Kristersson added. \u201cThis marks a new chapter in the history of Hungary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brett Wilkins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brett Wilkins is a staff writer for Common Dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Bio ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jubilant Hungarians wave flags to celebrate the resounding Tisza win in parliamentary elections on April 12, 2026 in Budapest.  (Photo by Sean Gallup\/Getty Images) \u201cEurope has always chosen Hungary,\u201d said the head of the European Union. \u201cTogether, we are stronger.\u201d Brett Wilkins Apr 12, 2026 (CommonDreams.org) Far-right Hungarian Prime Minister… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47688"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47688"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47690,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47688\/revisions\/47690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}