This was not supposed to happen. Orbán was the template for the global far right. He was the proof of concept; the man who demonstrated that once you captured the institutions, rewrote the rules, and weaponised the media, you could hold power indefinitely. Nigel Farage openly supported him. Reform modelled itself on his movement. MAGA looked to Budapest as a blueprint. JD Vance flew to Hungary to lend personal support ahead of the election. Russia backed him. The US administration backed him. None of it was enough.
The Hungarian people voted him out anyway. And in doing so, they have broken the myth of the far right's invincibility.
The implications are enormous. Hungary's sixteen-year obstruction of EU policy, on climate, on Ukraine, and on democratic norms ends. The policy gridlock Orbán manufactured to serve Russia's interests and his own family's financial ambitions is removed. The path opens for constitutional restoration, judicial independence, and genuine accountability for the corruption that defined his regime. A reckoning is coming.
But the deeper significance is political and psychological. The far-right has spent years cultivating the narrative that it is unstoppable and that history is moving in one direction, and that liberal democracy is a spent force. Hungary has just demolished that narrative. Authoritarianism can be peacefully defeated by voters through democratic means. And that sends a message to every country in Europe and to the United States, where the same forces are at work.
The USA remains the most acute problem. Its democracy is under greater strain than Hungary's ever was, and its institutions are being dismantled with greater sophistication. But the Hungarian result demonstrates that the capacity for democratic correction exists and that the far-right's confidence in its own invincibility is its greatest weakness.
This is a rare moment of political optimism. Orbán's defeat matters. Fascism can still be beaten.
This is the audio version:
This is the transcript:
Viktor Orbán, the far-right prime minister of Hungary, has lost power in that country's general election. Now, that is a cause for celebration. Orbán had been in power for the last 16 years, and altogether for nearly 20 years in Hungary, and during that period, he promoted what he called an illiberal project. He might have called it illiberal, I called it totalitarian, authoritarian, and neofascist, and most people would agree.
The fact is that during the period that he was in office, corruption was rife, the economy was failing, and he used his position of authority to try to undermine the EU and the position of Ukraine. He was trying to use his position as well to promote the financial interests of his family. Corruption looked rife, and now the people of Hungary have rejected his party.
They have not only taken it out of power. They have given what was the opposition a supermajority in the new parliament, which means that now the new prime minister can set out to reverse the positions that Orbán put in place so that the constitution can be restored and democracy can be revived in that country. This is a decisive political break, and we need to talk about it.
Orbán's fall from power is a major political shock. A longstanding regime has been overturned, and external backing for him did not save him in this election. The fact is that the narrative of inevitability about the progress of the far-right in Europe has been broken. As a consequence, I think that something much more important is going to happen, and that is that far-right confidence is also going to be disrupted, and there will be consequences of this in Europe and also in America, where the MAGA movement looked to Orbán as one of its inspirations.
The other dimension to all of this is that external support did not keep Orbán in power. We know that Orbán was backed by Russia. We know that the USA was backing Orbán's return to power. JD Vance went to Hungary in the week before the election to try to muster support for Orbán, and that has failed. The point is: international far-right alliances are not now enough to keep a far-right politician in power. Domestic voters can still be decisive; fascism can be defeated.
The people of Hungary made a clear choice. They rejected corruption. They rejected authoritarian rule. Democratic capacity was reasserted by them. They took back power. Agency was restored to the electorate as a consequence. People have had their say, and this is vital.
It's as vital as the fact that Orbán has conceded defeat. I know there was speculation about whether he would: remember Donald Trump did not in 2020, and as a consequence, the fear was that he might not do so now and claim victory even though it wasn't the case. The level of support for the opposition did, however, make that almost impossible. He has accepted the outcome of this election, and a peaceful transfer of power now looks to be possible, and I hope it will happen. Note me crossing my fingers there.
The Hungarian political system still retains democratic form as a result, and an immediate political crisis has been avoided; one that I anticipated.
What is more, everything in Europe changes as a consequence of this. Hungary did have an ally in Poland in its far-right position in Europe until a while ago, but over the last couple of years or more, Hungary has stood out against EU power. It has gained enormously financially from its membership of the EU, but has hated everything that the EU has stood for. And as a consequence, it has blocked the EU's position on many things, including climate change and support for Ukraine. That looks as though it will change. Hungary's obstruction to EU progress is likely to end, and the policy gridlock in the EU that has resulted from its objection to so many policies looks as though it will be removed. Alignment with EU norms is now more likely.
Now, I know there are consequences for that, which could be unfortunate. There are some of those norms that are neoliberal, but this is a major shift in European political balance as a result, and at least it is not the far-right who are dominating the agenda now. The voice of others will be heard, and moderation could be on the table.
Most importantly, the far-right has lost its role model. Orbán, as a template, was a model that others have followed, and his style has now been discredited. The claim of permanent dominance that the far-right liked to claim for itself, which 16 years in power by Orbán seemed to reinforce, has been weakened. The myth of unstoppability has been challenged. The political momentum has been disrupted.
As I've already noted, this has serious implications for the MAGA movement and also for parties like Reform in the UK. Nigel Farage has been open about his support for Orbán in the past, and now Orbán has failed, so too can the other parties that have modelled themselves on his progress. The narrative has collapsed. Voters can now reassess alternatives, and political space has been reopened.
The constitutional reset that Hungary needed is now possible, and that is important too because in countries like the UK, we are seeing a challenge to the rule of law. The Labour government is, after all, declaring people to be terrorists in this country for simply holding up pieces of cardboard, which is totally ridiculous. It's not only Hungary that needed a legal reset; so do we. We also need to reappraise the rule of law in this country. State structures do need to be open to reform, and what this change makes clear is that the possibility of that is now on the agenda. That is vital.
At the same time, Hungary might enjoy judicial independence again, something that is vital to a free and open democracy, and free media space could also reopen because the media in Hungary has been greatly oppressed during the period of Orbán's rule. Totalitarianism was the order of the day, and as a consequence, political suppression should also be over now; that is another important development. The fact that this shift has happened, despite that political suppression, is some indication of the desire within Hungary to rebuild democratic norms, and at the same time, corruption may now be addressed.
Channel 4 in the UK recently highlighted just how corrupt Orbán had been. The village where he lives has had vast amounts of funding placed into it. A railway line was built to it, but it has never been opened. There is a football stadium that can seat three times the level of the population of the village in question. Orbán's father has mysteriously become a very wealthy man with extensive properties. The abuse of public funds does need to be exposed now. Family enrichment must be under scrutiny as a consequence, and legal accountability must be made possible. This could create a precedent for prosecution, and the significance of that should not be lost upon people like Donald Trump. They, too, should be open to challenge. If Orbán is, others should follow in their wake.
The possibility of rooting out corruption is very real, and I do hope it is followed.
The international implications of accountability are also very clear. There is a message here to all authoritarian leaders, and we have them. We have them in Italy, we have them in the UK. We have them in France and in Germany. The message from Hungary is that they can be beaten. People should believe in that possibility, and the same should be said for the USA. The MAGA could be cornered as a consequence of this. The rule of law and the right of virtuous democratic politics could be upheld if countries are willing to talk about that. The USA is the biggest problem. There is only a sham democracy there.
This, then, is a rare moment for political optimism. The reversal of a neofascist direction of travel is a rare event. The democratic correction in action is something to be celebrated. Even if outcomes are still uncertain, the possibility that change will now be put in place is something to celebrate. At a time when there is very little to talk about that is good news, this message from Hungary stands out in a dark world; fascism can be beaten. Let's not forget that. It's a moment to enjoy.
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There’s a bit of an inconsistency re describing a man ousted in a democratic election as running a “totalitarian” regimes. Such regimes are very adept at rigging elections.
We need a new term to describe leaders we don’t like, Pinochet for example, who allow themselves to be voted out. Centre right democrats perhaps.
I agree with the points made. What is missing is the “how did it happen” (& by extension – what lessons could the UK learn?). Magyar the guy that defeated Orban only started the party & campaign on the back of a child abuse scandal in 2024. Politico have a pretty good profile of what he did & where he came from (ex diplomat, spent some time in Bx, was a civil servant in late 2024). In summary, big demo in Budapest 2024 – against the gov, afterwards Magyar gets in a transit van with others and tours the country more or less non-stop up until the elections. Meeting people, ordinary people. Magyar in late 2025 forces ALL parties to colaesce around Tisza. Two reasons for the victory, A) Orban corrupt to the core/Hungary hitting hard times, B) Magyar connecting to people and by-passing the usual Hungarian info-organs (controlled by Orban etc). Other thing very clear – the effort Magyar put in was superhuman – politics is a young persons game if you want to implement substantive change against an entrenched & usually corrupt gov.
What could the UK learn from this? How can the information space be reclaimed?
I note too Farage’s links with Orbán was reported by Desmog. It must be a blow to Reform!
https://www.desmog.com/2026/04/08/mapped-the-reform-farage-orban-network/
My view is simply that all Hungary shows me is that populations will be duped by fascism and then they will have to find out the hard way that they have been duped by having to live through it and only then, rejecting it.
Hungary could well be an England foretold.
It is also indicative of a weakness in democracy itself – there can only be ‘one’ winner, one ruler apparently. Democracy needs to be orientated towards pluralism as a check and balance.
The message to aspiring Hitlers is ‘outlaw other parties’ if you want to rule unchallenged.
As if we did not have enough on our plate propelling us toward fascism, the idiot known as George Robertson has told the FT this morning that we ‘ cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget’. Thanks – a really helpful intervention.
Once again, the false Neo-liberal narrative refuses to die. I was speechless.
We are trapped in the past. The Nazi’s (apparently defeated) still rule because that’s why we’ve ended up with the situation in the Middles East; Thatcher (apparently deposed by her own party and deceased) lives on in a moronic ex-NATO chief also ex New Labour.
All of this to me is indicative of a species on the way out.
Interesting comment by Hungarys new PM about holding people to account.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/13/peter-magyar-vows-to-pursue-those-who-plundered-hungary-after-election-win
Lets hope the post Trump USA is the same
I can feel glad for the people’s escape from that right-wing ethos that has ruled for so long. But we need to see real change, and I am far from sure that will happen even under the new incumbent.
My concern is that around the world those who follow similar political quests to that of Orban, will simply have learnt that once in power, democracy must be subverted quickly in the first term. Orban will be viewed by history as the exception. It suggests we need to guard our democratic system even more jealously if we want to keep it.
Orbán’s downfall is welcomed by many in my home country, the Czech Republic, where billionaire PM Andrej Babiš, an ally of Orbán and aligned with Trump-style populism, is pushing a similar path, as well as in Slovakia under the pro-Russian Robert Fico. It gives hope that civil society in both countries is still fighting back through protests, independent media, and public resistance. But the divide in society is very real, much like in the UK, and we are on a slippery slope, as many disadvantaged people increasingly believe strongman politicians will solve their problems. Still, Orbán’s defeat shows that this kind of politics can be beaten.
Let’s hope….
It seems the new leader is just as right wing. I really do t understand the excitement.
Right wing, but not as right wing.
And I do sound a note of caution in the video
I look at the defeat of Orban with some hope, but as with many of these “victories” over far right politics (Canada, UK, France, Germany, Australia in recent elections), I look at who is now doing the governing and despair. At best we get watered down neoliberalism, at worst full throated failed centre right politics. I look in vain around the world for a government offering real innovation or progressive (in its broadest meaning) policies.
My concern is that these anti-fascist wins just kick the can down the road as aside from slowing the erosion of institutions and democracy, they simply fail to tackle the real problems. Without any real attempt to address the structural problems, fascists will only be temporarily defeated. They will always come back, and each time they will double down on efforts to entrench their rule. We are running out of time. Winning battles is great, but I’m not seeing much evidence we are winning the war.
To me it’s a clear message of hope, and shows that, when there is an authoritarian but semi-democratic regime, it is still possible to have democracy win.
The main question for the world is whether Trump will allow the same. I expect a range of efforts to undermine democracy, from the existing gerrymandering, to the efforts to disenfranchise voters, to attempting to put ICE etc at polling stations in Democrat locations, to refusing to accept the results.
All this seems likely, and the question will be whether Republicans stick with an increasingly insane leader or not.
Here in the UK, Reform looks weaker for the evidence that people grow highly disillusioned with far-right authoritarian rule and for its specific support for Orban. It also highlights how people should be looking for the corruption, self-enrichment and cronyism which is endemic in these organisations, and evidence is accumulating about how Farage, Tice, et al have displayed their own ‘self first, country last’ approaches to things.
Hopefully when it comes to the next election, sufficient people will be paying enough attention to see past the clickbait politics and disregard the charlatans, fraudsters and thieves so frequently behind them.
I am sorry, but many of those who are prepared to vote for Farage have never heard of Orban. To be honest, I am reasonable politically aware, and I think I had heard his name, and I knew that Hungary was a far right issue. But, for me, it was not a big issue. How much less affected do you think that Farage’s supporters will be?
The people of Hungary have finally had enough which is obviously news. Nibbling away at democracy, corruption and hatred of immigrants shouldn’t be a platform for political success but it was for 16 years, Orban ,obviously, like Trump a cunning operator. I personally believe the UK has a majority of decent people (70%?) and can’t see a Far Right party ever being a majority government especially one led by a dimwit like Farage. Other countries might try it but these easy to solutions to complex problems never last long
I remember the rejoicing when the Tories were kicked out of power here. I celebrate the removal from power of the evil Orban and the fact that democracy has worked in spite of all his efforts, but I hope this is not the beginning of Hungary’s realisation that they now have their version of Kier Starmer: the other cheek of the same arse!
Peter Magyar has yet to define his position regarding Israel and Gaza, but it may turn out that Hungary’s automatic veto of EU attempts to censure Israel is weakened, or even removed. Magyar may wish to distance himself from Orban’s position as a major ally of Netanyahu, though it is unlikely that Hungary’s relations with Israel will change radically.
This will, as with Starver, be a litmus test.