“Welcome back to Europe!” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote in a social media post.
Politicians across Europe celebrated Hungary’s Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar after his conservative Tisza party won Sunday’s parliamentary elections, ousting long-time leader Viktor Orbán.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted a video of himself on the phone with the winner in Budapest, telling him “I think I am happier than you!” He captioned the video with the words “Welcome back to Europe!” alongside the Polish and Hungarian flags.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the result showed that European societies are “resilient against Russian propaganda” and other outside influences.
“Right-wing populism suffered a heavy defeat in Hungary yesterday, and this affects more than just Hungary,” Merz told reporters in Berlin Monday morning. “Hungary is sending a very clear signal against right-wing populism around the world. In that respect, yesterday was also a good day.”
Belgium’s Defense Minister Theo Francken called Orbán a “traitor” and said he was glad he had lost. He also took a jab at U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who visited Budapest last week to offer Orbán campaign help.
“I also thought Vance’s support was a really dumb campaign move. It doesn’t help anyone in Hungary,” Francken said.
Francken, a member of the New Flemish Alliance party, added: “I’m a right-wing politician and think the far right is being really stupid. And the MAGA’s should really stop campaigning internationally because everyone and everything they support loses the elections.”
Slovak Prime Minister and Orbán ally Robert Fico reacted somewhat less cheerfully to Magyar’s victory. Even though he is “ready for intensive cooperation” with the new Hungarian leader, Fico reiterated Bratislava’s need for a “joint approach with Hungary in protecting” shared energy concerns.
“I believe there remains a strong interest on the part of Slovakia, Hungary and Central Europe as a whole in restoring the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline,” Fico added.
Former European Council President Charles Michel said that with Orbán out of the way, “there’s no reason anymore to wait” on the EU’s proposed €90 billion loan to Ukraine. Hungary’s role in EU relations with Ukraine and the U.S. was “disturbing,” Michel said in an interview with Euronews.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who backed Donald Trump’s campaign for U.S. president in 2024, responded to a post by liberal investor Alex Soros celebrating the election result with the words “Soros Organization has taken over Hungary.”
Former U.S. President Barack Obama called the Hungarian election a “victory for democracy, not just in Europe but around the world.” He compared it to the 2023 Polish election, when current Prime Minister Tusk took over from his populist right-wing Law and Justice predecessor Mateusz Morawiecki.
“Most of all, it’s a testament to the resilience and determination of the Hungarian people – and a reminder to all of us to keep striving for fairness, equality and the rule of law,” Obama wrote on X.
France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen praised Orbán’s 16-year rule and slammed EU officials in Brussels following his loss. “The satisfaction expressed by the European Commission, which has never ceased to overstep its prerogatives and competencies to the detriment of the power of the peoples, should concern Hungarians about the persistence of this freedom so dearly defended for years,” Le Pen said in a post on X.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Orban’s defeat in a post soon after the result was clear, saying, “Hungary has chosen Europe.”
