Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Viktor Orbán ousted from power after his rival's election victory... Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar delivered a crushing electoral defeat to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, ending his 16 years in power and ushering in a new chapter in Budapest's relations with the European Union and the world.

Cheers erupted and champagne bottles swept across the banks of the Danube as state television announced the preliminary results, according to Playbook, the European edition of Politico. The site added, "Orban conceded defeat at 9:14 p.m., allaying fears that he might challenge the results. The Fidesz party leader said, 'The election results are painful for us, but they are clear.'" Under the headline "Relief in Brussels," the European site continued, "Officials and diplomats in Brussels expressed their relief after years of confrontation between the European Union and Orban over his illiberal agenda and alliance with Russia. An EU diplomat told Playbook, 'The ambiguous election result could have been a nightmare. I think we are all relieved.'" European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that Hungary was "back on the European path," in one of several Hungarian tweets posted minutes after Orban's concession. Other EU leaders also celebrated. The Europeans are reeling from this result.

The significance of this result: Orban's defeat is a major blow to both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, who strongly supported the self-described illiberal European leader. The decision to send Vice President J. D. Vance to Budapest during the final stretch of the campaign was a testament to Trump's confidence in this outcome.

Transatlantic results: Politico offered a detailed analysis of the implications of this result in Washington and what Democrats should learn from it. Reuters reports that Democrats in the United States are celebrating the defeat of Trump's closest European ally.

Lessons learned: Vice President Vance's intervention ultimately failed to change the outcome of the vote, amid widespread frustration. Among voters, concerns are mounting about corruption, high inflation, and low growth in one of the worst-performing economies in the European Union.

A decisive victory: One of the most significant outcomes is that Magyar appears to have secured a landslide victory, which will enable him to enact sweeping reforms.

What does this mean? The center-right opposition leader pledged By implementing judicial reforms that would prompt Brussels to release billions of euros in EU funds frozen due to rule-of-law concerns, he also has the power to dismiss Orbán loyalists from key positions.

The new leader's words: Holding the Hungarian flag and taking to a platform on the banks of the Danube to the strains of Frank Sinatra's "My Way," Magyar addressed his supporters: "Today, the Hungarian people said yes to Europe, they said yes to a free Hungary."

Firm words: "Today, the Hungarian people decided to change the system, and everyone who belongs to this system must leave public life," Magyar declared, urging the president to "immediately" grant him the mandate to form a government and "step down." Magyar's full victory speech is available here.

Time to go: "I call on all agents to follow my example and resign, those who have served the Orbán regime for the past 16 years," he said, naming the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the prosecutor general, and other prominent government figures.

The Ukrainian dimension: It raises Orban’s defeat also raises the possibility that Budapest will lift its veto on key EU policy items toward Ukraine, including a €90 billion loan to Kyiv that Hungary had blocked.

Not so fast: But the hopes of Kyiv’s allies for an immediate shift in Budapest’s stance on Ukraine may be misplaced, as Max notes. The new prime minister is a nationalist who has refused to send weapons to Kyiv and has hinted that he will put any application for Ukraine to join the EU to a referendum.

An unpopular populist: Jimmy Dittmer argues that Orban “lost his appeal” and misled his voters by devoting all his energy to attacking Ukraine and the EU. “Voters were angry and fed up with him and his ruling party, Fidesz, which they associated with the cronyism and corruption that are contributing to the economic collapse,” writes Jimmy.

The bottom line: Orban’s defeat is a major blow to his international backers, Trump and Putin, and follows the referendum defeat of Italy’s right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. Magyar now has a mandate to make a difference. A radical change. It remains to be seen whether this signifies a complete reversal of his predecessor's approach.

Speaking of Meloni… despite her friendship with Orbán, her message to Magyar last night was heartfelt. “Italy and Hungary are two countries bound by a deep friendship, and I am certain that we will continue constructive cooperation for the benefit of our peoples and the common challenges we face at the European and international levels.” Magyar received congratulatory calls from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European People's Party President Manfred Weber, according to his X account.

The mayor of Budapest maintained… monuments were illuminated throughout the night so people could celebrate, and the city's main historic bridge was lit up in the colors of the Hungarian flag (the lights are usually turned off at 11 p.m.).     

EU diplomats raised some tough questions about the election results in conversations with Politico on Sunday evening. Will the transfer of power from Orban to Magyar be smooth? Will the new prime minister, once in office, quickly lift Hungary’s veto on the disbursement of the €90 billion EU loan to Kyiv? And can Magyar implement reforms quickly enough to unlock the much-needed frozen EU funds?

Some of these questions may soon be answered. Magyar has pledged to contact “dozens of European and other leaders” and “clarify all outstanding issues with our neighbors” following his election victory.

Two EU diplomats expressed optimism that Magyar’s win would lead to Hungary quickly lifting its veto on the Ukraine loan. “It will be easy for the new government to simply not use the veto,” one said, adding that the decision could be made at the ambassadorial level and would not require the intervention of leaders. Ukraine’s loan was delayed for months due to a dispute between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Orban over the Druzhba pipeline, which Hungary accused Kyiv of refusing to repair after it was damaged in a Russian attack.

Zelensky had been hesitant about the reforms, but changed his stance ahead of Sunday’s election: “We will complete the reforms… I told them we would finish this spring,” he said last week, according to Veronika Melkozyrova’s report from Kyiv. On Sunday, Zelensky tweeted that he was “ready for meetings and constructive joint work” with the new Hungarian president.

Magyar will be racing against the clock in his attempt to unfreeze EU funds that Budapest desperately needs due to its liquidity crunch. Some of these funds are set to expire by the summer.

At the top of the agenda: The European Commission will demand proof of progress on judicial reforms before releasing any funds. But this issue is likely to be a key focus during Magyar’s first contacts with senior EU officials, according to a diplomat. Hungary has long opposed Ukraine's accession to the European Union, and Magyar has indicated he will maintain his predecessor's stance. However, another EU diplomat said Magyar might take a different approach, for example, by allowing the opening of the negotiating groups that Orban has thus far blocked.