Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted Prime Minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power, delivering a sharp defeat to one of Europe’s most prominent right-populist leaders and paving the way towards smoother relations between Budapest and the European Union.
Peter Magyar, a former Orban ally who campaigned against corruption and on bread-and-butter issues including health care and public transportation, declared victory after partial results showed his Tisza party with a commanding lead over Orban’s Fidesz. Orban, a close ally of President Donald Trump, conceded what he called a “painful” defeat just days after Vice President J.D. Vance took to the stage to campaign for him.
Magyar’s victory is expected to reshape politics in the EU, where Orban frequently blocked key decisions as he sought to build Hungary as a non-liberal state that guarded its sovereignty from international institutions. Magyar has signaled a desire to repair ties with the European Union and NATO, even as he remains, like Orban, a conservative on immigration and cultural issues.
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