Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, has conceded defeat following a decisive parliamentary election victory by opposition leader Péter Magyar of the Tisza Party.
Sunday’s parliamentary polls were held to elect 199 members of the National Assembly, with 100 seats required for a simple majority and 133 for a two-thirds supermajority. Projections from the National Election Office indicate that the Tisza Party is on track to secure a two-thirds majority based on early results.
Reacting to the projections, Orbán acknowledged the outcome, stating that although final results were still pending, the verdict of the electorate was “understandable and clear.” He also confirmed that he had congratulated the opposition, noting that “the responsibility and opportunity of governance were not given to us.”
Magyar, 45, celebrated the victory in a Facebook post, revealing that Orbán had personally called to congratulate him. “Thank you Hungary!” he wrote.
Magyar, who has served as a member of the European Parliament since 2024, leads the Tisza Party into what is expected to be a commanding position in the legislature.
Orbán, 62, had been Hungary’s prime minister since 2010, after previously holding office from 1998 to 2002. He returned to power with successive re-elections in 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Despite backing from prominent global figures, including Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Benjamin Netanyahu, Orbán was unable to retain power.
Meanwhile, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described the outcome as a sign that Hungary is reaffirming its European alignment.
“Europe has always chosen Hungary,” she wrote on X. “A country reclaims its European path; the Union grows stronger.”
