Taking Hungary Back: The Fall of Orbánism and What It Means for Europe
Péter Magyar (Photo: Márton Mónus/Reuters) Yesterday’s Hungarian parliamentary election has delivered what, until very recently, seemed improbable: the defeat of Viktor Orbán and his long-dominant Fidesz party. For over a decade, Hungary has stood as the clearest example within the European Union of how the structures of democracy can be steadily eroded by those in power. That this system has now been challenged—and decisively so—marks a turning point not only for Hungary, but for liberal democracy across Europe. Péter Magyar and TISZA didn’t just win – with over 98% of votes counted it is clear that they have won comfortably, securing at least 137 of the 199 seats in the national Assembly. The distribution of seats reflects a decisive rejection of the Orbán era and Orbánism. After years of constitutional engineering, media dominance and patronage networks designed to entrench power, the system built by Fidesz has been broken. The way it has been broken – democratically, and i...
