For years, he was much more than Hungary’s prime minister.
It was a symbol. Concerning. Model.
The man who showed that he could govern in Europa for more than a decade embracing an ultranationalist discourse, questioning the rule of law and openly challenging Brussels. The politician who inspired a new generation of far-right leaders inside and outside the continent.
And now, Abruptly. Overwhelming. Without nuances.
The victory of the conservative Péter Magyar y su partido Tisza – with a two-thirds majority in Parliament – is not just a change of Government in Hungary. It is, for many, something more.
A powerful political coup. And a question that is beginning to sweep through Europe: are we facing a turning point?
The end of an era… and a symbol
The numbers leave no room for doubt.
More than two thirds of the House. 138 seats compared to 55 for Orbán’s Fidesz. A result that not only puts an end to almost two decades of power, but also dismantles the idea of invincibility that the Hungarian leader had built.
Orbán was not just another politician. It was the visible face of what he himself called “illiberal democracy”. The leader who forged alliances with leaders like or that he maintained an ambiguous relationship – and at many times close – with .
The same one that blocked key decisions of the European Union, from aid to Ukraine to sanctions on Moscow.
His defeat, therefore, has a weight that goes far beyond Budapest.
An almost unanimous reaction in Europe
Rarely has an electoral result in a member country generated such a broad and aligned reaction in the rest of the continent.
From until Emmanuel Macronpassing by the German chancellor Friedrich Merz or the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer The message has been practically unanimous.
Hungary “returns to Europe.” Europe “is getting stronger.” Democracy “wins.” “A country resumes its path towards Europe,” Von der Leyen summarized.
Even ideologically distant leaders have opted for a restrained tone, like the Italian Giorgia Meloni, who congratulated the winner but avoided any direct criticism of the defeated.
The contrast is evident: while Brussels celebrates, The ultraconservative bloc loses one of its main references.
Spain, reflection of the European division
In Spain, the reaction has been a mirror of what is happening on a continental level.
The president and held “historic” elections. The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, highlighted that Hungary has opted for a “European” project.
Even from different positions, the message coincided: Magyar’s victory reinforces the idea of Europe.
But on the other side, Santiago Abascal He lamented Orbán’s defeat and warned that Hungary could lose its “protection” against what he calls an “Islamist invasion.”
Two opposite readings of the same result. Two Europes that coexist… and compete.
A key piece falls
Orbán not only governed Hungary. It was part of something larger.
A political and ideological network that includes figures such as Javier Milei in Argentina or Donald Trump in the United States, among other names or movements.
In fact, the Argentine Government itself has thanked Orbán his role in strengthening bilateral relations, evidencing the extent to which his figure transcended the national level.
His defeat does not dismantle that bloc. But it does weaken it.
Because it loses one of its longest-serving, most experienced and, above all, most institutionalized leaders within the European Union.
An isolated case… or a change in cycle?
This is where the real debate begins.
Why Orbán’s fall comes at a time when the extreme right continues to grow in Europe. France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands… parties on this spectrum have gained electoral weight in almost the entire continent.
The question, therefore, is inevitable: Is Hungary the exception… or the beginning of a reaction?
There are elements that invite caution. The Hungarian case has its own particularities: wear and tear after 16 years of government, electoral mobilization, an opposition candidate who has managed to bring together diverse supports.
But there are also signs that some interpret as a warning. Record participation. Speech focused on Europe. Explicit rejection of illiberalism.
As the Belgian Foreign Minister summarized, Hungary has decided “stop looking towards Moscow and look towards the West again.
Ukraine, Russia… and the geopolitical axis
Foreign policy has been a key factor in this change.
Orbán was, for years, an anomaly within the EU due to his closeness to Russia. His blocking of aid to Ukraine or his resistance to certain sanctions placed him in an increasingly uncomfortable position within the bloc.
own Volodímir Zelenski has extended its hand to the new Hungarian Government, showing that political change can have direct consequences on the European geopolitical chessboard.
Hungary could stop being that uncomfortable partner that looked towards Moscow. And that, in the middle of the war in Ukraine, is not a minor detail.
Beyond Hungary
Perhaps the key is not to oversize… but not to minimize either. The fall of Orbán does not mean the end of the extreme right in Europe. Far from it, but it does break a narrative.
That certain political models, once consolidated, are practically immovable. That wear and tear does not take its toll. That institutional control is sufficient to guarantee continuity.
Hungary shows that this is not always the case.
The battle continues
Europe now enters a new scenario.
With one less leader in the ultranationalist bloc. With a new majority in Hungary that promises to rebuild the rule of law. and with an open debate on the political future of the continent.
Is this a specific turn or an emerging trend? Nobody has the answer yet. But what does seem clear is that something has moved.
And that, at least this time, the wave has gone in the opposite direction.
