Hungarian Prime Minister Orban concedes defeat in a European electoral earthquake [View all]
Last edited Sun Apr 12, 2026, 05:14 PM - Edit history (2)
Source: AP
Updated 5:01 PM EDT, April 12, 2026
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power, rejecting the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement that he embodied in favor of a pro-European challenger in a bombshell election result with global repercussions.
Election victor Peter Magyar, a former Orban loyalist who campaigned against corruption and on everyday issues like health care and public transport, has pledged to rebuild Hungary's relationships with the European Union and NATO -- ties that frayed under Orban. European leaders quickly congratulated Magyar.
It's not yet clear whether Magyar's Tisza party will have the two-thirds majority in parliament, which would give it the numbers needed for major changes in legislation. With 77% of the vote counted, it had more than 53% support to 38% for Orban's governing Fidesz party.
It's a stunning blow for Orban, a close ally of both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orban conceded defeat after what he called a ″painful″ election result. "I congratulated the victorious party,″ Orban told followers. "We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition,″ he said.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/hungary-election-orban-magyar-trump-1a4eb0ba6b94e0c80c3cd18bd36254ab
Article updated.
Previous articles/headline -
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power, rejecting the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement that he embodied in favor of a pro-European challenger in a bombshell election result with global repercussions.
Election victor Peter Magyar, a former Orban loyalist who campaigned against corruption and on everyday issues like health care and public transport, has pledged to rebuild Hungary's relationships with the European Union and NATO -- ties that frayed under Orbn. European leaders quickly congratulated Magyar.
It's not yet clear whether Magyar's Tisza party will have the two-thirds majority in parliament to govern without a coalition. With 77% of the vote counted, it had more than 53% support to 38% for Orban's governing Fidesz party.
It's a stunning blow for Orban, a close ally of both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orban conceded defeat after what he called a ″painful″ election result. "I congratulated the victorious party,″ Orban told followers. "We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition,″ he said.
Updated 3:40 PM EDT, April 12, 2026
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday after what he called a ″painful″ election result, ending 16 years in power for a powerful figure in the far-right movement allied with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Partial official results show opposition leader Peter Magyar's party dominating the vote, in a bombshell election result with repercussions around Europe and beyond. ''Thank you, Hungary!'' Magyar posted on X, as thousands of his supporters thronged the banks of the Danube in Budapest.
Across town, Orban told his followers that "I congratulated the victorious party.'' "We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well,'' he said. With 60% of the vote counted, Magyar's Tisza party had more than 52% support to 38% for Orban's governing Fidesz party. That proportion will change as more votes are counted.
It's a major blow for Orban, the European Union's longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists, who has traveled a long road from his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global far-right.
Original article -
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday after what he called a ″painful″ election result, ending 16 years in power for a powerful figure in the far-right movement allied with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I congratulated the victorious party,″ Orban told supporters in Budapest. "We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well."
Initial official results show opposition leader Peter Magyar's party dominating the election.
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