On Sunday (local time), Hungarians elected a new Prime Minister for the first time in 16 years.
Péter Magyar defeated Hungary’s longest serving PM, far-right leader Viktor Orban.
Magyar’s centre-right party attracted two-thirds of the vote.
The result comes after allegations Russia and the U.S. interfered to keep Orbán in power.
Here’s what to know.
Background
Orbán was Prime Minister of Hungary from 2010, which - until the weekend - made him the longest serving leader in the European Union.
He had previously been PM from 1998-2002, overseeing Hungary joining the European Union.
During his second stint in power, Orbán led his party Fidesz further to the right, away from the EU towards Russia, and away from democracy.
Today, he is allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Magyar was a member of Fidesz until 2024.
He is the former husband of Judit Varga, who was Justice Minister under Orbán until she had to resign in 2024 over a pardon issued to a man accused of covering up child sexual abuse.
Magyar ran for the centre-right, pro-European party Tisza in the European Parliament elections, and was named the party’s candidate for Prime Minister in February 2026.
Election result
Before the election, Tisza was ahead of Fidesz, at 50% compared to 39% in Politico’s Poll of Polls.
Voting on 12 April proved the polls correct, with Tisza achieving a significant victory at 69% of the vote.
“My fellow Hungarians, we have done it! Tisza and Hungary have won the elections. Not by a small but by a very large margin. Together we liberated Hungary," Hungarian Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar said, addressing crowds in Budapest.
Orbán called the result "clear" and "painful".
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Interference claims
Central European media outlet VSquare alleged Russia “tasked a team of political technologists with meddling” in the election to keep Orbán in power.
“Sources say the Budapest arrangement involves a three-man team working out of the embassy on behalf of... Russia’s military intelligence service”.
Members of the European Parliament urged European leaders to investigate these allegations.
Some critics also questioned U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s role in Orbán’s campaign, with the VP travelling to Hungary to be alongside the Fidesz leader.
Magyar was among those suggesting U.S. interference, posting a statement to X one day before Vance’s visit addressing the claim.
Vance called the claims "darkly ironic" at a private speaking event at a university in Budapest.
Bomb claims
Leading up to the election, Orbán called an emergency defence council meeting after he said Serbia’s President had warned him of a “powerful explosive device”.
Orbán said the device was found near critical gas infrastructure on the Serbia-Hungary border.
However, some security experts disputed the claim, suggesting it was designed to encourage support for Orbán and discourage support for Ukraine (Hungary imports large quantities of Russian gas).
A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the country “has nothing to do with this.”
Magyar called it “an artificial crisis to divert attention from what is really happening.”
Addressing the claims, Orbán said that “this is not a game,” adding that Ukraine is “capable of anything.”
Reaction
Following Magyar’s win, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the world leaders to congratulate him for his “landslide victory.”
“It is important when a constructive approach prevails,” he said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the win a “historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy.”
