Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday conceded defeat in the country’s parliamentary elections, calling the outcome “clear” and “painful” as the partial counting of votes showed a decisive victory for opposition leader Péter Magyar.
Magyar said Orbán had called him to concede, according to a social media post.
With roughly 53% of votes counted, forecasts showed Magyar’s Tisza party on course for a landslide victory that could give it a two-thirds parliamentary supermajority.
The result could mark a dramatic political shift in Hungary, where Orbán has led the country for more than a decade.
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Orbán, a close ally of President Donald Trump, received strong support from the White House in the final days of the campaign.
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Days before the election, Trump reiterated his support for Orbán in a post on Truth Social.
“My administration stands ready to use the full economic power of the United States to strengthen the Hungarian economy, as we have done for our great allies in the past, if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian people ever need it,” Trump said. “We are excited to invest in the future prosperity that will be generated by Orbán’s continued leadership!”
Orbán was trailing in pre-election opinion polls facing his biggest electoral challenge since 2010, with surveys showing Magyar Tisza’s party with a significant lead.
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Orbán, who led Hungary for 16 years, has faced criticism from the European Union over his positions on migration, Russia’s war on Ukraine and his government’s policies, while maintaining strong support among many rural and older voters.
His strained relationship with the European Union stems in part from his position on Russia’s war against Ukraine, his strong support for Israel and his tough stance on migration, which has led to financial sanctions from the bloc.
During Orbán’s time in power, the Hungarian economy has grown relatively quickly for an EU country, although inflation has remained high and business confidence has been negative in recent years.
Before the vote, Orbán had expressed confidence in his campaign, calling it “a great national moment on our side” and telling reporters: “I am here to win.”
Magyar, meanwhile, viewed the election as a turning point for the country’s future and warned that Hungary’s course had drifted away from its Western alliances in recent years.
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“I think this will really be a referendum on our country’s place in the world,” Magyar said.
