Hungary's election ended with a sweeping victory for the opposition, concluding Viktor Orban's 16-year rule. Orban, a key ally of Donald Trump, was one of Europe's longest-serving leaders.
On 13 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Hungary's Election Commission announced results with about 98% counted, stating that Peter Magyar's center-right opposition party, Tisza, won decisively with 53.6% of the vote, securing 138 of 199 parliamentary seats—more than two-thirds—enough to amend the constitution.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party received only 37.8% of the vote, winning 55 seats in parliament. This marks his greatest defeat since coming to power 16 years ago.
Viktor Orban conceded defeat after the clear opposition victory. Peter Magyar posted on social media that Orban had called to congratulate him before Magyar addressed tens of thousands of supporters by the Danube River in Budapest, saying, “Tonight, truth has triumphed over lies,” and emphasizing that this win represents a historic consensus of the people.
This election saw a record-high voter turnout exceeding 77%, the highest since Hungary transitioned to democracy after the communist era in 1990. As a result, many polling stations extended hours to allow those still in line to vote.
Magyar's victory is seen as a significant policy shift for Hungary, particularly regarding relations with the European Union, with which Orban's government—an important ally of Trump—often clashed. Orban's defeat also reverberates globally, impacting right-wing leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, and causing Russian President Vladimir Putin to lose a key European ally.
Source: CNN, Aljazeera