'Trump Before Trump' Viktor Orbán Loses Power After 16 Years in Shock Hungary Election Result

Hungary's Viktor Orbán lost the parliamentary elections on Sunday, April 12, to the opposition's Péter Magyar. The move marks the end of Orbán's 16-year tenure as the country's prime minister, despite receiving vocal support from President Donald Trump and other top U.S. officials ahead of the vote.

Magyar, 45, was a former party insider in Orbán's far-right populist Fidesz party, who urged Hungarians to end the former leader's "electoral autocracy," according to the BBC. Magyar is the leader of a conservative but pro-European alternative to Fidesz — Tisza.

Magyar based his campaign on an anti-corruption stance and focused on domestic issues in his attempt to prevent Orbán from securing a fifth term. On the other hand, Orbán sought support by warning that Hungary could be drawn into the war in Ukraine, playing on public fears about the conflict.

The BBC reported that early election results based on more than 98 percent of the votes counted, showed Magyar's party was on track to secure an impressive 138 seats. In comparison, Fidesz, led by Orbán, was projected to win around 55 seats, while the far-right Our Homeland Movement was expected to take about six seats.

Newsweek reports that according to betting platforms, Orbán's victory was considered unlikely. However, many far-right leaders worldwide backed the Trump ally.

On Friday, April 10, Trump declared that the U.S. would support Hungary economically if Orbán returned to power. During his visit to Budapest this week, Vice President JD Vance promised to "help" Orbán in winning the election.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on the other hand, told Orbán in February that "Trump is deeply committed to your success."

"We hope you will vote for my father's friend and ally," Donald Trump Jr. wrote in a social media post ahead of the elections.

Orbán has often presented himself as a defender of traditional Christian values, positioning his leadership in contrast to what he calls "progressive ideas" and "wokeness."

He has been openly critical of LGBTQ+ rights, skeptical of the European Union, and opposed to Ukraine, all while maintaining a working relationship with the Kremlin, Newsweek reports.

Much like other well-known far-right leaders in Europe, he has taken a strong anti-immigration stance – an approach that has found support within the White House.

While Trump has sharply criticized most European nations in the wake of the Iran war, Hungary has been spared. Steve Bannon, an early MAGA architect, previously described Orbán as "Trump before Trump."

Orbán's defeat will be a huge blow for the Trump administration, which had hoped to boost right-wing politics in Europe.

Ahead of the voting, Ivan Krastev, chair of the Center for Liberal Strategies in Sofia, Bulgaria, told CNN that Orbán's defeat would have "an incredible psychological impact" on the perceived strength of the far right.

After the results were announced, Magyar addressed an excited crowd of his supporters, saying that together they had "liberated Hungary" from Orbán's rule.