Hungary election reconfirms democracy
The just-completed parliamentary elections in Hungary have resulted in decisive defeat for high-profile controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Hungarian Civic Alliance party, popularly known as Fidesz. A landslide victory was won from voters by opposition leader Peter Magyar and his Tisza Party.
This ends 16 years of turmoil. Orban has consistently accommodated Russia and clashed with the European Union (EU).
Orban delivered a gracious concession statement on Sunday April 12, with approximately half the votes counted. Tisza is projected to have a strong majority of 138 out of 199 seats in the national legislature. This provides a super-majority, allowing freedom for radical changes. Orban is right-wing in views and approach, while the Tisza Party is on the center-right.
Magyar promises sweeping anti-corruption and term-limits reforms, plus an overhaul of the stagnant economy. The promised reforms reflect urgency rather than ideology.
President Donald Trump has been a consistent, characteristically vocal supporter of Orban over the years. That has contributed very directly to making Orban a popular figure among Trump’s most dedicated supporters in the United States.
The Hungarian leader became something of a poster child for Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement. Nonetheless, that celebrity status clearly did not translate into concrete support for Orban among Hungary’s voters.
Vice President J.D. Vance underscored the White House commitment to Orban with a personal visit to Hungary just before the voting. During a public rally with the prime minister, Vance dramatically placed a call to Trump, who spoke to the gathering and emphasized his commitment to Orban.
Early in 2025, Vance along with business entrepreneur, and one-time Trump adviser Elon Musk, publicly expressed support fort the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in advance of national elections in that country. Vance met with Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD, in March 2025 during the annual Europe security conference held in Munich, Germany.
The AfD is widely regarded as a neo-Nazi movement, and rhetoric of some party members helps to confirm that accusation. The party is monitored by Germany’s intelligence services as a suspected extremist group. Before national elections, German political leaders across the political spectrum united to criticize this intervention by senior U.S. government leaders.
Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union consequently enjoys enhanced freedom to lead in Europe and beyond. So far, he has pursued traditional diplomacy while avoiding clashing with Trump. Merz emphasizes support for established economic and security institutions.
Meanwhile, the AfD did less well than expected in the voting.
U.S. politicians generally avoid trying to intervene personally in foreign elections, for extremely good reasons.
While unusual, the Trump-Vance foreign involvements are not unique. One precedent is provided by President Barack Obama, who intervened very publicly in the referendum in 2016 in Britain regarding whether to remain in or leave the EU. Obama strongly urged staying in the regional organization. By a narrow margin, the British voted to leave.
Resentment overseas regarding efforts by U.S. leaders to influence other nations’ internal affairs is hardly surprising. Consider reactions in the U.S. if China, or even the EU, openly tried to influence elections, or those in Canada or Mexico.
Hungary is suffering severely economically, with nil growth, high inflation and low investment. New Prime Minister Magyar and associates have both challenge and opportunity to improve the situation.
Removing strident nationalism, plus stable EU relations, a contrast with Orban’s tenure, will assist the nation’s economy.
• Arthur I. Cyr, acyr@carthage.edu, a retired professor of political economy at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is a former vice president of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations and author of “After the Cold War— American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia.”