Hungary elections live: Trump ally Orban ousted after 16 years as Magyar wins by landslide

Peter Magyar has declared a landslide victory in the pivotal Hungarian elections, ousting prime minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power. Magyar’s pro-EU Tisza party are projected to have won 137 seats for a crucial two-thirds majority in the 199-member parliament, defeating Orban's nationalist Fidesz party."Together, we liberated Hungary and got rid of the Orbán regime,” Magyar told ‌cheering thousands of supporters along ⁠the embankment by the river Danube. "In the history of democratic Hungary, this many people have never ‌voted before, ​and no ‌single party has ⁠ever received ⁠such a strong mandate ‌as ​Tisza.”European leaders have flocked to praise Magyar for his victory, which will reshape Hungary’s hostile relationship with Europe.Voting booths closed in Hungary at 7pm local time (6pm BST) after around 77.8 per cent of the Hungarian electorate cast their ballots, smashing the previous record of 70.5 per cent in 2002.Earlier in the day, accusations of voter fraud were launched by both sides, but Orban’s team in the nationalist Fidesz party said it would respect the results of the election.US Democrats cheer defeat of Trump ally Orban in HungaryUS Democrats are celebrating the defeat of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban.US president Donald Trump had backed Orban leading up to the vote, even speaking briefly last week at a campaign rally in Hungary."Pay attention, Donald Trump. ​Wannabe ⁠dictators wear out their welcome," Senate Minority ‌Leader Chuck Schumer said."Far-right authoritarian Viktor Orban has lost the election. Trump sycophants and MAGA extremists in Congress are up next in November," said US House of Representatives Minority ‌Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar13 April 2026 05:30Peter Magyar pledges to rebuild ties with EUPeter Magyar's landslide victory in Sunday's Hungarian election has handed his centre-right Tisza party a sweeping mandate that will give it a free hand to enact reforms, bolster the rule of law and potentially unlock billions in EU funding.Magyar, addressing jubilant supporters chanting "Europe, Europe" after Victor Orban conceded defeat, pledged to make Hungary a strong EU and Nato ally and rebuild ties marred ‌by years of conflict."With the two-thirds majority allowing us to amend the constitution, we will restore the ‌system of checks and balances," Magyar said."We will join the European Public Prosecutor's Office and guarantee the democratic functioning of our country. We will never again allow anyone to hold free Hungary captive or to abandon it." Alisha Rahaman Sarkar13 April 2026 05:15People celebrate election victory of Peter Magyar Peter Magyar, lead candidate of the Tisza party, greets his supporters after the Tisza party won the parliamentary elections on April 12, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary (Getty Images)People celebrate in the streets after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat to Peter Magyar, leader of the pro-European conservative TISZA party, in Budapest, on April 12, 2026 (AFP via Getty Images)Alisha Rahaman Sarkar13 April 2026 05:00Record turnout in Hungary electionA record number of voters have cast their ballots in Hungary's general election.Turnout in the election was nearly 80 per cent, according to the National Election Office.This was the largest number of votes recorded in any election in Hungary's post-Communist history Alisha Rahaman Sarkar13 April 2026 05:00Who is Péter Magyar, Hungary’s new leader?Péter Magyar has been elected as prime minister of Hungary following in a dramatic win against long-time leader Viktor Orbán.Rebecca Thomas writes:Alex Croft13 April 2026 04:45'Winter is coming', says US DemocratUS Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, who is the House of Representatives Minority Leader, has posted an ominous warning to his domestic political opponents following Orban’s electoral loss.“Far-right authoritarian Viktor Orban has lost the election,” he writes.“Trump sycophants and MAGA extremists in Congress are up next in November,” he adds, referring to the November mid-term elections.In what sounds like a homage to HBO’s Game of Thrones, Jeffries adds: “Winter is coming.”Alex Croft13 April 2026 04:30'Hungary has chosen Europe', says von der LeyenEuropean Commission president is the first of Europe’s leaders to react to the critical election result, which is set to reshape Budapest’s relations with the EU.It’s a post full of dramatic pauses from the European Commission president, who is rejoicing in the victory of pro-EU Peter Magyar.“Hungary has chosen Europe,” she writes. “Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger.“Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. Together we are stronger. A country returns to its European path. The Union becomes stronger.”Alex Croft13 April 2026 04:15 Elon Musk laments Victor Orban's defeatElon Musk lamented Victor Orban's defeat in a post on X."Soros Organization has taken over Hungary," the billionaire wrote.Billionaire financier and major Democratic donor ‌George Soros, a Hungarian immigrant to the US, has long been vilified by ​many conservatives. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar13 April 2026 04:00Péter Magyar's political stances Rebecca Thomas writes:Peter Magyar is widely seen as an “insider” turned dissident of the Fidesz party and has leant into this narrative, telling the BBC in 2024, "After a while, I became more and more critical, openly and just among friends. I can tell you that the Fidesz we see today is very, very different from the one I joined in 2002.""I was always told by the politicians it's necessary to keep power - I accepted it for a time. But of course, the turning point was in 2024."Magyar's “Now or never” slogan dates back to a revolutionary poet's 19th-century rallying cry to rise for the homeland.He has promised to tackle corruption, improve the economy, and sought to gain support from Hungary's disadvantaged Roma community.The Tizsa leader has also pledged to unlock billions of euros in EU funds.Alex Croft13 April 2026 04:00Alex Croft13 April 2026 02:29