BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday after what he called a ″painful″ election result, ending 16 years in power for a powerful figure in the far-right movement allied with U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I congratulated the victorious party,″ Mr. Orban told supporters in Budapest. “We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well.”
Initial official results show opposition leader Peter Magyar’s party dominating the election.
Sunday’s bombshell election is likely to have repercussions across Europe and beyond. It’s seen as the EU’s most consequential election this year.
It marks a key moment for Mr. Orban, the European Union’s longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists, who has traveled a long road from his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global far-right.
The parties of both Mr. Orban and Mr. Magyar said they had received reports of electoral violations, suggesting some results could be disputed by both sides.
Mr. Orban, 62, said the campaign had been “a great national moment on our side” and thanked activists and supporters for their work. “I’m here to win,” he said.
Turnout by 6:30 p.m. was over 77%, according to the National Election Office, a record number in any election in Hungary’s post-Communist history.
Before the results were announced, Mr. Magyar said he and his Tisza party were “cautiously confident,” as thousands of Tisza supporters crowded the promenade along the right bank of the Danube River as the sun set, waving Hungarian flags and cheering.
Mr. Orban’s party held a closed event, with only party members and elites and some journalists allowed.
Mr. Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, said the record high turnout showed that “Hungarian democracy is extremely strong.”
Mr. Orban has repeatedly frustrated EU efforts to support Ukraine in its war against Russia’s full-scale invasion, while cultivating close ties to President Vladimir Putin and refusing to end Hungary’s dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports.
Recent revelations have shown a top member of his government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, raising accusations that Hungary was acting on Russia’s behalf within the bloc.
The election was closely watched in countries around Europe and beyond, which is a testament to the outsize role Mr. Orban occupies in far-right populist politics worldwide.
Members of Mr. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement are among those who see Mr. Orban’s government and his Fidesz political party as shining examples of conservative, anti-globalist politics in action, while he is reviled by advocates of liberal democracy and the rule of law.
During his 16 years as prime minister, Mr. Orban has launched harsh crackdowns on minority rights and media freedoms, subverted many of Hungary’s institutions and been accused of siphoning large sums of money into the coffers of his allied business elite, an allegation he denies.
He also has heavily strained Hungary’s relationship with the EU. Although Hungary is one of the smaller EU countries, with a population of 9.5 million, Mr. Orban has repeatedly used his veto to block decisions that require unanimity.
Most recently, he blocked a $104 billion EU loan to Ukraine, prompting his partners to accuse him of hijacking the critical aid.
Fidesz and Tisza both have launched platforms for reporting irregularities, accusing their opponents of planning to commit election abuses.
Russian secret services have plotted to interfere and tip the election in Mr. Orban’s favor, according to numerous media reports including by The Washington Post. The prime minister, however, has accused neighboring Ukraine, as well as Hungary’s allies in the EU, of seeking to interfere in the vote to install a “pro-Ukraine” government.
Such accusations are part of why many in the EU see Mr. Orban as a danger to the bloc’s future.
But across the Atlantic, Mr. Trump and his MAGA movement are all-in for another Orban term. Trump has repeatedly endorsed the Hungarian leader and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance made a two-day visit to Hungary last week meant to help push Orbán over the finish line.
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