All posts tagged: Hungarian politics

Hungary’s Tisza party widens parliamentary majority as final votes are counted – POLITICO

Hungary’s Tisza party widens parliamentary majority as final votes are counted – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Orbán’s Fidesz party came in a distant second with only 52 seats in the parliament. “Here are the results of the 2026 parliamentary election: an unprecedented majority, an unprecedented mandate — and, at the same time, an unprecedented responsibility,” Magyar wrote in an X post on Saturday. He added that he could be officially sworn in as prime minister in mid-May. Magyar’s supermajority could facilitate the swift approval of democratic reforms necessary to unlock €17 billion of EU funds that were frozen over rule-of-law shortcomings under Orbán’s tenure. Under the current rules, the Hungarian government has to fulfill 27 EU-mandated conditions — officially known as “super milestones” — that will reform the country’s procurement rules, and increase judicial independence and academic freedom as a precondition to claim any funding. Over the weekend, Magyar and his future ministers held talks in Budapest with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s chief of staff, Bjoern Seibert, and several director-generals. The goal was to outline a roadmap to release the money and discuss a €90 billion loan to Ukraine that was …

Magyar to relocate Hungarian prime minister’s office in shot at Orbán – POLITICO

Magyar to relocate Hungarian prime minister’s office in shot at Orbán – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Hungary’s premier-elect Péter Magyar said he would relocate the prime minister’s office in Budapest once he is sworn in. “Under the Tisza government, the Prime Minister’s Office will not be based in the Carmelite Palace in the Castle District, which Viktor Orbán had set up for himself, but in one of the ministry buildings near parliament,” Magyar wrote on X on Thursday. The baroque Carmelite Monastery in Buda, on the western side of the Danube, historically served as a Catholic monastery and later as a theater before being converted into Prime Minister Orbán’s office in 2019 at a cost reported to be more than €50 million. Hungary’s parliament building, one of Budapest’s most iconic landmarks, is located on the eastern bank of the river. The move marks another effort by Magyar to distance himself from his predecessor, after he appeared on Orbán-affiliated state television to announce that he would suspend their operations. In an interview Wednesday, Magyar described the broadcaster as a “factory of lies” and said he would “immediately suspend the false news service.” Magyar’s …

Defeated Viktor Orbán to skip next week’s EU leaders summit – POLITICO

Defeated Viktor Orbán to skip next week’s EU leaders summit – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

BRUSSELS ― Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will not attend the informal meeting of the European Council in Cyprus next week, an EU official told POLITICO. Orbán suffered a crushing loss in Sunday’s general election that put an end to his 16-year premiership. He was scheduled to attend the two-day gathering on April 23 -24, during which national leaders are set to discuss the crisis in the Middle East and the bloc’s next seven-year budget. The nationalist-populist leader remains Hungary’s caretaker prime minister until his rival, Péter Magyar, takes power in May. Source link

Orbán loses, Magyar wins, Europe reacts — live updates – POLITICO

Orbán loses, Magyar wins, Europe reacts — live updates – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Viktor Orbán was ousted as prime minister of Hungary after Péter Magyar won a stunning victory in the national election on Sunday. Longtime leader Orbán, Europe’s most prominent populist-nationalist politician, had frustrated Brussels’ agenda on multiple files, including a €90B loan to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia. After 16 years in power, Orbán’s exit is set to change EU dynamics. Follow all the reaction below to Orbán’s loss, as Brussels gears up for the new reality in Budapest. Source link

The losers and winners of Hungary’s seismic election – POLITICO

The losers and winners of Hungary’s seismic election – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Independent journalists have faced an uphill battle in Hungary as Orbán took control of 80 percent of media in the country. Despite that, independent reporters became a decisive factor in the final outcome. They uncovered how the Orbán government worked to undermine the opposition via the country’s secret services, and obtained details of phone calls between Budapest and the Kremlin, discussing sensitive EU matters. Doctors will also be a winner, as Magyar has promised to increase public investment by €1 billion a year. That pledge comes after a decade of underspending in the health sector that left long waiting lists, dilapidated hospitals, lack of equipment and, ultimately, caused a brain drain, President of the Hungarian Medical Chamber Péter Almos told POLITICO. Orbán’s government has in the past unleashed billboard campaigns blaming doctors for the system’s deficiencies. Viktor Orbán, who conceded defeat, salutes supporters at the Balna centre in Budapest on election night. | Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images The losers Donald Trump and JD Vance U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited Orbán in Budapest on …

Von der Leyen waits just 17 minutes to celebrate Orbán’s heavy defeat – POLITICO

Von der Leyen waits just 17 minutes to celebrate Orbán’s heavy defeat – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

European People’s Party leader Manfred Weber, to which the victorious Tisza opposition party belongs, also couldn’t contain his glee at Orbán’s defeat. Orbán’s populist-nationalist Fidesz party left the center-right EPP group in 2021 to join the far-right Patriots for Europe. “Tonight is the victory of the people of Hungary!” Weber wrote. “They confirm that our centre-right, people-first politics win elections.”  “Substance. Solutions. Unity — not empty slogans and fears,” he added.  Orbán’s 16-year reign ended Sunday night with a landslide victory for the center-right opposition, led by Magyar, who is on track to win around two-thirds of the 199 seats in Budapest’s parliament.  Many of the political reactions to Orbán’s loss focused on what his defeat would mean for Europe, after years in which he thwarted EU unanimity on matters such as aid for Ukraine while barracking Brussels for tougher migration rules and nationalist policies. “Hungary’s place is at the heart of Europe,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola wrote.  French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Magyar: “Together, let us advance a more sovereign Europe, for the security of our continent, our competitiveness, and our democracy.” Source …

Orbán just lost his populist touch – POLITICO

Orbán just lost his populist touch – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

And come what may, Magyar remained laser-focused in his campaigning on bread-and-butter issues while hammering Fidesz over corruption, noting how Orbán’s family, business cronies and inner circle have grown ever richer as ordinary Hungarians have just got poorer.  What really concerned voters — inflation, economic malaise and endemic corruption — all remained front and center in Magyar’s campaign, according to Mátyás Bódi, an election geographer affiliated with Budapest’s Eötvös Loránd University. And they played well for him, explained Bódi, who analyzed raw local polling data from independent pollsters throughout the election campaign. “What drove Orbán’s defeat was the cost of living, lack of economic opportunities and lack of jobs,” Bódi added. Magyar’s messaging about poor public services also resonated. “A key Magyar message was that the country just isn’t working. And if you look at health care, transportation, the education system, for ordinary people the average experience has been one of disrepair and increasing dysfunction.” Capitalizing on voter frustration, Magyar’s promises to build a “modern, European Hungary” appealed not only to young voters but also …

Orbán’s 16-year rule over Hungary ends in crushing election defeat – POLITICO

Orbán’s 16-year rule over Hungary ends in crushing election defeat – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Orbán conceded, with tears in his eyes, saying: “However it turned out, we will serve our country and the Hungarian nation from the opposition.” If the current margin of victory holds, Magyar will secure a supermajority in parliament that will allow him to unravel key features of Orbán’s “illiberal democracy” — demolishing the prime minister’s tight control over the judiciary, state companies and the media. Orbán’s departure will come as a huge relief to the EU, whose systemic weaknesses he has exposed and exploited for years, most recently by helping Putin block €90 billion of European support to Ukraine. A gleeful European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced: “Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight.” A heavy loss for the Hungarian premier will also deliver a painful blow to Trump’s MAGA movement, which has viewed Hungary’s prime minister as a talismanic trailblazer for its own brand of anti-immigrant, Christian-oriented nationalism.   Brussels officials have long accused Orbán of undermining key pillars of Hungarian democracy — from the judiciary to the media — and …

Fraud accusations fly as Hungarians vote in contentious election – POLITICO

Fraud accusations fly as Hungarians vote in contentious election – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Magyar’s Tisza party has made available its own system for voters to report fraud. Fidesz has followed suit by enabling a hotline and a dedicated email address. “The overwhelming majority of these violations are tied to Tisza. They cry fraud — but they are the ones committing it,” Fidesz MEP Csaba Dömötör said Sunday morning. “Based on Fidesz submissions, 639 cases of electoral violations have been established, with 74 police reports currently underway,” Dömötör said. Opposition leader Magyar said early Sunday that he would accept the results as long as there is no serious electoral fraud, urging voters to report any irregularities they see, HVG reported. Magyar said that if the election is fair and free then Tisza will win; and he accused Orbán’s government of preparing false flag actions to invalidate results in Tisza-led districts. Orbán’s international spokesman Zoltán Kovács, meanwhile, posted a message on X Sunday morning accusing Tisza of preparing the ground to storm government buildings if they lose.   “Location matters — and this one speaks volumes,” Kovács said about the …

High early turnout in Hungary’s pivotal election – POLITICO

High early turnout in Hungary’s pivotal election – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

A large number of voters cast their ballots in the early hours of Sunday’s key election in Hungary, which could potentially spell the end of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. According to data from the Hungarian national election office, 16.9 percent of registered voters had cast their ballots by 9 a.m. In the previous parliamentary election in 2022, that figure stood at 10.3 percent at the same time. POLITICO’s Poll of Polls projects a comfortable lead for Orbán’s challenger, Péter Magyar, and his center-right Tisza party. But polls have also diverged significantly and in Hungary’s electoral system, vote shares don’t necessarily equal final political weight. Ballot boxes opened at 6 a.m., with the election office reporting a record 3.5 percent turnout within the first hour of voting. The polls will close at 7 p.m. and the first results are expected starting at 8 p.m. The election office also reported receiving more than 293,000 postal votes by Sunday. Source link