(AFP) – Hungarian pro-EU prime minister-elect Peter Magyar pledged on Monday to usher in a “new era” after defeating long-time nationalist leader Viktor Orban in elections seen as a blow to hard-right populism. Orban, a self-described “thorn” in the European Union’s side who was backed by US President Donald Trump and maintained close ties to Moscow, was ousted in Sunday’s ballot after 16 years in power.
Hungarians fed up with corruption handed conservative former government insider Magyar a decisive victory, with a two-thirds majority in parliament. The vote saw a record turnout. Magyar, 45, said he would do “everything in our power” to ensure the “beginning of a new era,” adding Hungarians “didn’t vote for a mere change of government, but for a complete regime change.”
In power since 2010, Orban has transformed the central European country of 9.5 million people into a model of “illiberal democracy,” making wide-ranging reforms that restricted civil rights and the independence of the judiciary, media, and academia. In that, he frequently clashed with Brussels, which has frozen billions of euros in funds over rule-of-law concerns.
Magyar said he was “willing to take on” reforms, including anti-graft measures, to seek to unlock the funds. He urged President Tamas Sulyok, an Orban ally, to convene parliament “as soon as possible.” The president has 30 days, or until May 12, to do so. Sulyok on Facebook said he had invited the leaders of parliamentary parties to a meeting on Wednesday.
“Our country has no time to waste. Hungary is in trouble in every respect. It has been plundered, looted, betrayed, indebted, and ruined,” Magyar told reporters. Many EU leaders welcomed Magyar’s win, while the Kremlin said Moscow hoped for “pragmatic” relations with Hungary’s new government, and China — which Orban also courted — congratulated Magyar. Magyar thanked both Moscow and Beijing for “being open to pragmatic cooperation, just as Hungary is.”
Orban, 62, conceded defeat on Sunday, saying the message was “painful but unambiguous.” Magyar was a supporter of Orban for years before emerging as his most serious challenger. He stepped into frontline politics just two years ago, promising to fight corruption and offering better public services. He garnered support against a backdrop of economic stagnation and despite an electoral system skewed in favour of Orban’s Fidesz.
Ahead of the vote, US Vice President JD Vance, one of the most fervent supporters of far-right parties in Europe, visited Hungary last week to attend a rally with Orban. His boss, Trump, had promised to back Hungary with the United States’ “economic might” if Orban’s party won.
The election “could mark a real turning point for Donald Trump’s culture war in Europe,” said Pawel Zerka, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. It gave “confidence (to) pro-European forces across the continent” and meant that association with Trump’s culture war was now becoming “more of a liability than an asset,” he said.
Orban, who repeatedly blocked EU moves to help Ukraine fight Russia’s invasion, made Ukraine a central campaign issue, portraying Kyiv as “hostile” to Hungary. Like Orban, Magyar opposes sending EU military aid to Ukraine or offering Ukraine a fast-track route to join the 27-nation bloc. He reiterated that stance on Monday, saying: “We are talking about a country at war. It is completely out of the question for the European Union to admit a country at war.”
On election night, jubilant supporters poured into the streets to celebrate in the capital, Budapest. “At long last it feels so good to be Hungarian. It’s like a weight lifted off our shoulders,” Csilla Bekesi, 25, told AFP.
burs-jza/yad – Peter MURPHY, Andras ROSTOVANYI
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