Former US President Barack Obama praised the results of Hungary’s parliamentary elections, celebrating Péter Magyar’s significant victory over former leader Viktor Orbán.
“The opposition’s victory in Hungary yesterday, like the Polish election in 2023, is a victory for democracy, not just in Europe, but around the world,” Obama wrote on his X account this Monday morning (13), shortly after the result was confirmed.
The victory of the opposition in Hungary yesterday, like the Polish election in 2023, is a victory for democracy, not just in Europe but around the world. Most of all, it’s a testament to the resilience and determination of the Hungarian people – and a reminder to all of us to…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama)
“Above all, it is a testament to the resilience and determination of the Hungarian people – and a reminder to all of us that we must continue to fight for justice, equality and the rule of law”, published the former American president.
In addition to Obama, US Democrats celebrated Viktor Orban, while President Donald Trump’s allies and fellow Republicans offered a more mixed reaction to the loss of the leader Trump had supported.
Trump had supported Orban before the vote, even speaking briefly last week at a campaign rally in Hungary, when , called his boss as he took the stage.
But Orbán lost power after 16 years when Hungarians voted in record numbers in favor of a pro-EU policy led by his .
American lawmakers from both major parties congratulated Magyar on his victory. Some Democrats interpreted Orban’s defeat as a portent of things to come in November’s U.S. midterm elections.
“Pay attention, Donald Trump. Would-be dictators abuse hospitality,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“Far-right authoritarian Viktor Orbán lost the election. Trump sycophants and MAGA extremists in Congress will be next in November,” said US House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Republicans such as US Senator Roger Wicker saw the Hungarian election result as a rejection of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom Orbán had cultivated ties over the years.
Wicker, a Mississippi Republican who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the results showed that Hungary’s people rejected “the evil influence of Vladimir Putin” and “decided their own future.”
Trump himself did not mention the Hungarian elections on Sunday, although he expressed his opinion on several topics through social media posts, a television interview and a brief meeting with journalists.
But some of his pro-Orbán allies, such as technology mogul Elon Musk, lamented the outcome.
“The Soros Organization has taken control of Hungary,” Musk wrote on X.
Billionaire financier and major Democratic Party donor George Soros, a Hungarian immigrant to the United States, has long been vilified by many conservatives.
*with information from Reuters
