Hungary’s Orbán Ousted After 16 Years as Pro-European Challenger Magyar Wins Election

Hungarian voters have ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power, rejecting his authoritarian policies in favour of pro-European challenger Péter Magyar. Orbán, a close ally of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, conceded defeat after a “painful” result. Magyar’s Tisza party secured over 53% of the vote with 93% counted. Turnout was nearly 80%, a record in Hungary’s post-Communist history. European leaders quickly congratulated Magyar.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Key Points:

Orbán had strained Hungary’s relationship with the EU and NATO.
He frequently used veto power to block EU decisions, including a €90bn loan to Ukraine.
Magyar campaigned against corruption and on everyday issues like healthcare.
Trump’s VP, JD Vance, had visited Hungary days earlier to support Orbán.
The result is a blow to far-right movements globally, which viewed Orbán as a beacon.

Sources: Associated Press (AP)