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Hungary: End of the Orbán Era?

Hungary enters a crucial election week with Péter Magyar’s opposition leading Viktor Orbán’s long-ruling Fidesz, as Europe watches for wider political fallout.

Kyiv Post

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8 апреля 2026 г.

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Hungary has entered the final week in the run-up to next Sunday’s general election. The polls put Péter Magyar’s centre-right opposition party, Tisza, well ahead of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz, which has been ruling the country in an increasingly authoritarian manner for the past 16 years. Europe’s media discuss the wider implications of the election beyond Hungary’s borders.

Fidesz on edge

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Orbán is becoming increasingly unpredictable, warns Polityka (Poland):

“Orbán’s announcement on Sunday that the military would be deployed to protect the gas pipeline [from Serbia] gives pause for thought given that the army was also brought in several weeks ago to protect critical energy infrastructure against alleged Ukrainian sabotage. Orbán knows he is losing. If he allows fair, free elections, Tisza will sweep him off the board. It is well known that he has taken security precautions in various institutions, but tensions are riding high within Fidesz. The elections will take place, but in the event of a defeat Orbán may well cast doubt on the results.”

Outcome could send a powerful message

Jyllands-Posten hopes for change and looks back to recent history (Denmark):

“If Hungary manages to bring about regime change, the positive effects would radiate beyond its borders and be felt across central Europe. It could also put wind into the sails of liberal and democratic powers in a whole string of EU nations, such as Italy, France and Spain, where populists have recently shown signs of weakness. The elections on Sunday are not only an opportunity for Hungarians to get rid of a reactionary and ineffective government but, as happened in 1956 and 1989, they could also set an example in the fight for freedom throughout Europe.”

Other Topics of Interest

Vance Arrives in Budapest as Orban Told Putin He’d Help Like ‘Mouse’ Aiding ‘Lion’

US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Budapest ahead of Hungary’s election as a transcript shows Viktor Orban offered support to Vladimir Putin, Bloomberg reported.

Candidate of the three superpowers

Corriere della Sera explains why the US, Russia and China are all backing Orbán (Italy):

“What is it that is prompting the two superpowers and their third ally to back Viktor Orbán – the leader of a small country with a population of less than ten million – so vigorously? Perhaps the only thing on which they agree in this complicated and chaotic geopolitical situation? The answer is simple: Trump, Putin and Xi Jinping all want to destroy the European Union, or at least keep it in a state of subjugation and weakness, in order to prevent its rise to world power.”

Magyar needs more than mere victory

Český rozhlas wonders what would really change in Hungary if Magyar won the election (Czech Republic):

“Viktor Orbán secured dominance in many key areas of public life by enshrining them in law with constitutional majority. So it won’t be enough for the opposition leader to win the election: he needs a constitutional majority. And then there’s the critical question of whether it will actually be possible to reverse within four years everything that Orbán put in place in sixteen? From today’s perspective, that looks like a Herculean task.”

Orbán’s seeds growing across Europe

In Le Monde, Hungarian sociologist Tibor Dessewffy observes a paradox at work in Europe (France):

“While Hungary appears to be nearing the end of the Orbán era, the ideas that consolidated his power are putting down roots in several major European political systems. In Germany, France and the UK, issues once relegated to the margins – sovereignty, panic about migration and identity politics – have now entered the mainstream. In an ironic twist of history, European voters could now find themselves being served up national dishes cooked according to his political recipes.”