Euphoria in the EU due to the defeat of Orbán, Putin and Trump’s bishop: “Hungary has chosen Europe” | International

The European Union, its economic model, values ​​and enlargement, won this Sunday in Hungary against the illiberal right. And the days of the wayward Viktor Orbán in the EU are over. This Sunday, Brussels celebrated the defeat of the national populist in the legislative elections. “Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary, a country that demands its European path. The Union is getting stronger,” the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, launched on social media. “Tonight, the heart of Europe beats harder in Hungary,” he said after Orbán acknowledged his defeat at the hands of Peter Magyar. Congratulations to whoever will be the new head of the Hungarian Executive have arrived like a wave from France, Germany, Spain, Denmark or from the Baltic countries. “Hungary’s place is at the heart of Europe,” said the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.

The support of his allies has been of little use to Orbán, considered Vladimir Putin’s submarine in the EU and Donald Trump’s bishop. Not even the maneuvers of the US Administration and the MAGA movement (Make America Great Again), which, given the poor results for the national populist shown by the polls, sent Vice President JD Vance to Budapest this week; Not even the support of the European and global far-right have saved the veteran politician from a major defeat.

“France welcomes the victory of democratic participation, the attachment of the Hungarian people to the values ​​of the European Union, as well as Hungary’s European commitment,” Frenchman Emmanuel Macron wrote on his social networks. “Let us move together towards a more sovereign Europe, for the security of our continent, our competitiveness and our democracy.”

“Today Europe and European values ​​win. Congratulations to all Hungarian citizens for historic elections,” remarked, for his part, the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, on social networks.

“The Hungarian people have decided. My warm congratulations on your victory, dear Peter Magyar,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. His political family, that of the European People’s Party, is celebrating twice: with Peter Magyar they will have another leader in the European Council. Tisza, your party is part of the EPP (Orbán’s Fidesz was also part of the party years ago).

“The Hungarian people have spoken. This marks a new step for Hungary and for the EU, with hope for the restoration of democracy, the rule of law and European cooperation,” said Rob Jetten, Prime Minister of the Netherlands. “The record participation shows the democratic spirit of the Hungarian people. They have spoken and their will is clear,” said the President of the European Council, António Costa.

This Sunday’s elections in Hungary were not only a decisive test for Orbán, the most senior leader of the European Council. They also assumed a and their values ​​that the national populist has answered. Bishop of Russia and ally of the United States in the community bloc, Orbán’s defeat after 16 years in power is also a boost to the EU at a time of global disorder. And a reminder that there are formulas to confront the model of the global extreme right, which had become strong in Hungary. From there he had jumped to other countries.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an ally of Orbán, has also congratulated the future prime minister. “Congratulations on the clear electoral victory to Peter Magyar, to whom the Italian Government wishes good work. I thank my friend Viktor Orbán for the intense collaboration of these years, and I know that also from the opposition he will continue to serve his nation,” he said. “Italy and Hungary are nations united by a deep bond of friendship and I am sure that we will continue to collaborate in a constructive spirit in the interest of our people and common challenges at the European and international level.”

Against the “Brussels bureaucrats”

For weeks, Brussels has been holding its breath over a possible defeat for Orbán in Hungary. With the results in hand, few in the bubble of community institutions have wanted to comment on the national-populist’s blunders, insults and criticism of the EU and its model. They feared giving ammunition to a man who has based much of his speech on the “Brussels bureaucrats.” Now, many breathe a sigh of relief. Orbán has been the Trojan horse of Putin, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in the EU.

In recent years it has blocked, vetoed and boycotted dozens of decisions against Russia and in favor of Ukraine. The last, a multimillion-dollar loan of 90 billion euros for kyiv. Now, however, the EU institutions do not expect an immediate unlocking after Magyar comes to power. Although in Brussels, this Sunday is experienced as the end of an era. Orbán, who has fiercely opposed the Union’s support for Ukraine, was the most senior leader in the European Council.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky was quick to congratulate Magyar. “Ukraine has always sought good neighborly relations with everyone in Europe and we are ready to advance our cooperation with Hungary,” he declared on social media. “We are ready for meetings and constructive joint work for the benefit of both nations, as well as for peace, security and stability in Europe,” he commented.

We will also have to see what happens with the illiberal reforms that his party has implemented in recent years in Hungary, where it has built a dense clientelistic network, has modified the laws to control justice and has taken control of a good number of media outlets. The authoritarian drift of the Central European country, which joined the EU in 2004, has led the Community Executive to freeze billions of euros in European funds. Today, it maintains 18,000 million euros blocked. And it has definitively lost another 1,000 million. All this, in a country that in recent years has had stagnant economic growth. The change of Government will not automatically return the frozen money.

“The elections in Hungary are truly historic, a victory for the citizens,” declared Iratxe García, president of the European Chamber of Socialists and Democrats. “In a time of threat and war, people went to the polls in record numbers to make their voices heard. Choosing hope over hate and lies, saying a clear yes to Europe, to freedom and democratic values.”