The election in Hungary

Orbán breaks silence: “Feeling pain and emptiness”

The Hungarian party Fidesz needs a “total renewal” after Sunday’s election. This is what party leader Viktor Orbán says in a first statement after the loss to opposition leader Péter Magyar, according to several media outlets.

In an interview with the Orbán-friendly YouTube channel Patrióta, Orbán describes the loss as “comprehensive” and “clear.” Magyar’s party Tisza won a full two-thirds majority in parliament, and Orbán thus lost power after 16 years.

Orbán admits that his opponents went to the polls with a stronger message and he takes full responsibility for the loss. The politician also says that he believed in an election victory and that the loss has resulted in an “emotional rollercoaster” with “pain and emptiness” as a result. However, he will not step down as party leader.

– A political era has ended. It takes more than just swapping one or two positions, he says.

Europe's right turns its back on Trump after Orbán's loss

Many thought that Donald Trump's return to the White House would mean a boost for like-minded anti-immigration movements around the world. But the president has become so politically toxic in Europe that even his closest ideological allies see him as a burden, writes Politico.

In France, the right-wing nationalist National Rally is expected to distance itself from Trump ahead of next year's presidential election. The decision is explained by Viktor Orbán's election loss in Hungary.

- The proximity to the US was not well received by Hungarian voters, an anonymous high-ranking party representative tells the site.

In Germany, similar arguments are also being heard from representatives of the far-right AfD party ahead of regional elections later this year.

The war in Iran and Trump's spat with the Pope are two other reasons that are making European right-wing nationalists reassess their ties to the American president, according to Politico. 

The election in Hungary — it's about the matter

• Péter Magyar and his Tisza party won a landslide victory in the Hungarian parliamentary election on April 12, 2026, gaining a supermajority with 138 out of 199 seats.
• Viktor Orbán admitted defeat after 16 years in power and announced that Fidesz is now going into opposition.
• Magyar has promised extensive reforms, including the dismissal of the prosecutor general, the closure of state media and a new anti-corruption agency.
• The election was preceded by high voter turnout, allegations of Russian election interference, economic problems and divisions in society.
• The victory represents a possible change of course towards the EU, but Magyar has stressed that Hungary will not support a fast track for Ukraine into the union.