As Viktor Orban's Era Ends In Hungary, EU Gains Ground While Trump's Influence Cracks

Last Updated:April 13, 2026, 11:54 IST

Orban's defeat came as a setback for the Trump administration, which lost its key ally in Europe, and for Russia's Vladimir Putin, which maintained close ties with Hungary.

In a setback for US President Donald Trump, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban lost power to the centre-right Tisza party in Sunday’s national election after 16 years in office, closing a tumultuous chapter in the country’s politics shaped by Budapest’s “illiberal" model of democracy and growing ties with Russia.

Peter Magyar, a former Orban ally and leader of the opposition Tisza Party, is set to become the next Hungarian Prime Minister once the parliament is formed. Orban conceded defeat in a speech in Budapest, saying the responsibility to govern had not been given to his party.

Orban, 62, was celebrated by conservatives across Europe and the United States as the mastermind of the “illiberal" model of democracy. However, economic stagnation, international isolation and rising wealth inequality dented his chances at another term.

Setback For Donald Trump

Orban had won public endorsements from the Trump administration as well as from Russia’s Kremlin. Trump’s administration had staked its diplomatic prestige abroad by keeping its closest European ally in office by sending US Vice President JD Vance on April 7 to mark the ‘Day of Hungarian-American Friendship’.

Standing beside Orban in Budapest, Vance said he was there “to help him in this campaign cycle", while attacking the EU and Ukraine. “The bureaucrats in Brussels have tried to destroy the economy of Hungary. They have tried to make Hungary less energy-independent. They have tried to drive up costs for Hungarian consumers. And they’ve done it all because they hate this guy," he said.

ALSO READ: Who Is Peter Magyar, Hungary’s Next Leader Who Toppled Viktor Orban’s 16-Year Rule?

Prior to the election, Trump publicly endorsed Orban and said his administration “stands ready to use the full economic might of the United States to strengthen Hungary’s economy" if the latter won. Analysts say the Trump administration viewed Orban and his ideological infrastructure as central to a push for a Europe that’s “anti-woke, anti-green, and anti-immigrant."

Orban’s defeat came as a setback for the Trump administration, as it has now lost its key ally in Europe amid deteriorating relations with other regional allies. His fall was celebrated on Sunday by both Democrats and Republicans in the US, some of whom criticised their own administration for such overt support for the Hungarian leader.

This also marked a setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as recent media reports revealed close ties between Budapest and Moscow, including phone calls between Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Big Boost For EU

Orban’s defeat gave a big boost to the European Union, which had long hoped for an end to Hungary’s adversarial role inside the EU. Orban was one of the EU’s most vocal antagonists, who used his veto on critical decisions and opposed financial support for the war-hit Ukraine.

Orban has often frustrated the European Union by standing in the way of critical policy goals, including blocking a loan to Ukraine and sanctions targeting the Russian economy. His administration has long been viewed as a security risk due to his close ties with the Kremlin.

The new leadership under Peter Magyar is widely expected to clear the path for a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine that has been frozen for weeks because of Orban’s objections. “Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger," said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen moments after Orban conceded defeat.

In the run-up to the election, Orban had insisted without evidence that the European Union was meddling in the vote, claims that were echoed by the Trump administration, according to the New York Times. Recent revelations have shown a top member of Orban’s government frequently shared the details of EU discussions with Russia, prompting accusations that Hungary was acting on Moscow’s behalf within the bloc.

During his tenure, Orban also launched harsh crackdowns on minority rights and media freedoms, subverted many of Hungary’s institutions and has been accused of siphoning large sums of money into the coffers of his allied business elite, an allegation he denies.

(with inputs from agencies)

News world As Viktor Orban's Era Ends In Hungary, EU Gains Ground While Trump's Influence Cracks

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