Editorial: Hungary verdict — Viktor is the vanquished

The resilience of Hungary’s democracy amid authoritarian governance will inspire activists worldwide

The humiliating electoral defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is often compared to United States President Donald Trump for showing a similar proclivity to hate-filled rhetoric, carries a wider message to the world. The mandate is a wake-up call for the practitioners of authoritarian nationalism and extreme right-wing politics. Sixty-two-year-old Orban, who has cosy ties with Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, ruled Hungary with an iron grip for the past 16 years but lost his bid for a fifth term. In a record turnout in the Parliamentary polls, voters rejected Orban and his party, Fidesz. Peter Magyar, a conservative and former ally of Orban who established the breakaway Tisza Party, emerged as the winner. Political analysts have likened the dramatic mandate to the collapse of Communism in 1989. Under Orban’s authoritarian rule, Hungary has become one of the world’s most famed laboratories for illiberal politics as he turned the formerly center-right Fidesz party into a far-right outfit. By keeping a close grip on both the media and constitutional bodies, Orban built a formidable system of power attractive to like-minded strongmen around the world. At the heart of this system was the 2011 fundamental law, which replaced the Constitution and can be amended only by a two-thirds majority in Parliament. It affects the judiciary, the media, the electoral system, public finances, family policy, and even the status of churches. Key institutions, including the Constitutional Court, the Office of the Prosecutor General, and many others, are led by trusted allies.

Going further, Orban and his party appropriated large sectors of the economy, allocating public resources, including both national and European funds, to supporters and relatives. While he increasingly cocooned himself in the flattery of sycophants and the praise of a sprawling propaganda machine, the country’s economy suffered a sharp decline, marked by high unemployment and virtually stagnant growth. According to Transparency International, Hungary is now one of the poorest countries in the European Union. Orban had moved Hungary closer to Moscow and farther from Brussels. His defeat sends a strong message to Trump and Putin, both of whom had endorsed him. In fact, American Vice President JD Vance visited Budapest during electioneering and campaigned with Orbán. On the other hand, Magyar promised a more open and humane Hungary at peace with itself and the European Union. His focus on combating a sluggish economy and ending government corruption resonated with voters who gave his party a two-thirds majority. Although a social conservative, Magyar put together a broad coalition, including Hungarian liberals, a sort of pro-democracy coalition that carried the day. The election results reflected public frustration in the face of a weak economy, growing unemployment, and a broken healthcare system. The resilience of Hungary’s democracy in the face of authoritarian governance will hearten democracy activists around the world.