Peter Magyar has vowed to govern for "all Hungarians" after his decisive victory against Viktor Orbán in Hungary’s general election.
Magyar, a pro-European conservative, described his win as "an immense honour" and pledged to work towards a free, functional, and humane Hungary. He noted that the mandate came with the highest number of votes ever recorded in the country.
Speaking from a platform set up along the Danube River, the future prime minister celebrated the victory late into the night, telling the crowd of tens of thousands that they had “liberated Hungary.”
Official results, with nearly all votes counted, show Magyar’s movement securing 138 of the 199 parliamentary seats with 53.07% of the vote. Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party took 55 seats with 38.43% of the vote. Voter turnout reached a historic high of 79.50%.
Orbán, who held power for 16 years, conceded defeat, calling the results "painful but unequivocal". He confirmed he had congratulated Magyar’s party on their win.
This loss marks a major blow for Orbán, who had positioned Hungary as a model of illiberal democracy, and strikes at nationalist movements globally, including Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again camp, which had vocally backed him.
Magyar has pledged to re-establish checks and balances and ensure the country’s democratic functioning, calling the task ahead "monumental".
Previously a member of Orbán's Fidesz party, Magyar emerged as a political newcomer and built an opposition movement within two years.
Despite Orbán's electoral system favouring Fidesz and his tight control over the media, Magyar’s movement managed to unseat him.
The Czech and Slovak prime ministers have also congratulated Hungary's pro-European Peter Magyar following his election victory over nationalist Viktor Orban.
Andrej Babis of the Czech Republic expressed his respect for the result in a post on X, adding that he looks forward to future cooperation.
Slovakia's Robert Fico shared a similar sentiment on Facebook, describing his willingness to establish close ties with Hungary's new leader.
Both leaders extended their congratulations to Magyar for his election performance.
