Centre-right Peter Magyar's Tisza Party has won a landslide in Hungary after a night of counting in the Hungarian election. Viktor Orbán has conceded defeat after 16 years in power. "We have done it. Tisza and Hungary have won this election", Magyar said to cheering supporters in Budapest.
The majority of the votes counted last night (98%) show's Magyar's centre-right Tisza Party has won a landslide, resulting in more than 137 seats. Orbán's Fidesz Party has gone down from 135 to 55 seats, meaning Magyar has unseated the leader who is widely seen as a key block in European politics.
Orbán has been a key ally to Russia's President Putin and U.S. President Trump, with Trump's Vice President JD Vance making a quick stop last week to help drum up support for him.
Magyar, 45, is a former Fidesz party-insider and campaigned on a manifesto of moving closer to the European Union, NATO and removing the corruption which is believed to have happened under Orbán.
At a rally in central Budapest to thousands of supporters, Magyar said, "We will join the European Public Prosecutor's Office and guarantee the democratic functioning of our country. We will never again allow anyone to hold free Hungary captive or to abandon it".
"With the two-thirds majority allowing us to amend the constitution, we will restore the system of checks and balances", he added.
Many European leaders are hoping for an end to Hungary's adversarial role inside the EU, possibly opening the way for a €90 billion ($105 billion) loan to war-battered Ukraine that was blocked by Orbán.
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy said "it is important when a constructive approach is victorious" via Telegram on Sunday, as he congratulated Magyar's decisive election win.
Defeat for Orbán could also mean the eventual release of EU funds to Hungary suspended over reforms that Brussels said undermined democratic standards, something closely watched by financial markets.
"Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the top EU executive, said after partial results were released.
Orbán's exit would also deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of his main ally in the EU and send shockwaves through the West's right-wing circles, including the White House.
Orbán had won public endorsements from the Trump administration, culminating in a visit to Budapest by Vice President JD Vance last week, as well as from the Kremlin and far-right leaders in Europe.
But his campaign was shaken by media reports alleging his government colluded with Moscow on diplomatic and political matters.
Orbán, who denied any wrongdoing, said his goal was to protect Hungary's national identity and traditional Christian values within the EU and its security in a dangerous world.
"It's incredibly exciting," said 24-year-old Dorina Nyul, who attended the Tisza election night event.
"It feels like this is our first and last chance in a really long time to actually change the system. And it's, I can't even describe the feeling."
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies...
Kyrgyzstan’s ex-second in command, Kamchybek Tashiev, has been convicted of plotting to overthrow the country’s President Sadyr Japarov. Tashiev a...
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported...
Uzbekistan will open an embassy in Georgia, the Central Asian country’s presidency has said. The announcement follows talks between Uzbekistan’s P...
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the eastern German city of Erfurt on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opened ...
Hungary's ruling Tisza party has proposed a constitutional amendment that would remove President Tamás Sulyok from office, introduce term limits for MPs and overhaul key elements of the country's political system.
Hungary's parliament on Monday approved a constitutional amendment limiting prime ministers to a maximum of eight years in office, a move that effectively prevents former premier Viktor Orbán from returning to the country's top political post.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Monday that his government would begin legal proceedings to remove President Tamás Sulyok if he continues to reject calls to resign.
The end of Viktor Orbán's sixteen-year dominance of Hungarian politics has triggered a familiar reaction across much of Europe.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment