Péter Magyar Wins Hungarian Election, Ending Viktor Orbán’s 16-Year Rule

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:26:00 +0200

Hungary’s long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat in the country’s parliamentary elections, ending a 16-year era of nationalist and increasingly authoritarian governance. The opposition leader, Péter Magyar of the center-right Tisza party, achieved a decisive victory that secures a two-thirds supermajority in parliament. This outcome gives his party the ability to amend Hungary’s constitution and potentially reverse many of Orbán’s controversial reforms. Orbán, who described the loss as 'painful but clear,' congratulated Magyar for what observers have called a historic transition for Hungary and the European Union.

Magyar’s campaign focused on fighting corruption, reviving Hungary’s struggling economy, and restoring democratic institutions weakened under Orbán. Positioned as a pro-European conservative, Magyar pledged to realign Hungary with the European Union and NATO, distancing the country from Orbán’s close ties to Russia. European leaders, including Ursula von de