Hungarian opposition wins parliamentary election

Veteran Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accepted defeat in a parliamentary election on Sunday, ending his 16 years in power. He congratulated Péter Magyar, leader of the center-right opposition Tisza party, and called the election result “painful” but “clear”, CNN reported.

With nearly all of the votes counted, election officials say Magyar’s Tisza party is set to secure two-thirds of seats in parliament, with many hoping he could reverse some of the controversial changes made by Orbán.

Magyar’s massive victory will be a relief to leaders elsewhere in Europe, where Orbán had been a thorn in the side of the EU. It will come though as a blow for US President Donald Trump, who endorsed the nationalist, pro-Russian leader during the campaign.

Magyar campaigned on fighting corruption, but also on domestic issues, from Hungary’s stagnating economy to its poor health care. Orbán tried to win votes by stoking fear that Hungary could be dragged into the Ukraine war. Magyar told a jubilant crowd of supporters that together they “liberated Hungary” from the Orbán regime.