With a new pro-European government, Hungary will work closely with the rest of the EU to support Ukraine and promote peace and coexistence
This Sunday, the people of Hungary went to the polls to push the country towards a new path. A path towards democracy, away from populism and in closer collaboration with the EU. After 16 years of Orban’s rule, the Hungarian people have clearly voted for a change and for a better relationship between their country and the rest of Europe.
The opposition party led by Péter Magyar won the elections, securing two-thirds of the parliamentary seats with a pro-European and anticorruption discourse. “Hungarians said yes to Europe”, said Magyar during his winning discourse. EFA Secretary General Oriol Cases agrees: “With this new government, Hungary will stop blackmailing the EU Council, for the benefit of all Europeans, and hopefully for the Ukrainian people too”.
In EFA, we welcome this new era for Hungary and celebrate an historic citizens’ mobilization. The turnout hit 77,8%, being the highest ever recorded in a Hungarian election. Much of this record participation came from young people. Polls suggest that up to two-thirds of Hungarians under 30 voted for a political change and were key to overturning Viktor Orban’s regime. We believe in the potential of young people to shape a future of hope and democracy, and we are inspired by this level of youth mobilization.
Europeans against authoritarianism
In view of the events unfolding around the world, people across Europe are standing up for democracy and against authoritarianism. Just in the last month, Giorgia Meloni saw how the people of Italy mobilized in a referendum to stop her illiberal reform of the judicial system, pro-Europeans won the elections in Slovenia, and Victor Orban’s reign ended after 16 years.
Orban’s defeat in Hungary is a strong message for Trump and Putin, who lost their most important ally in Europe. Trump’s public endorsement and investment in Orban’s campaign, with US Vice President JD Vance visiting Budapest the week before the elections, clearly show how much of a loss this is for authoritarian leaders. European people are making clear that Europe will not collaborate with the imperialist turn of the US and Russia. “The EU is today more united and working together for a world of peace. A strong and united EU is most urgently needed to act in partnership with all those states and Peoples eager to work for coexistence and peace”, said EFA President Lorena López de Lacalle.