Hungary, setback for Orban. Magyar's surprise

Unexpected setback for Viktor Orban in the European elections: Fidesz, the premier's party, despite beating the opposition stopped at 44.8% of the vote, losing around eight percentage points compared to five years ago. And also falling back to 11 seats from the 13 obtained in 2019. On the other hand, a great result for Peter Magyar, Orban's former advisor who in just a few months, after leaving Fidesz, led his party, Tisza, to win almost 30% of the vote and seven seats in the EU Parliament. "The result we have obtained shows that Orban can be beaten, that the Fidesz's overwhelming power is over," Magyar said hot on the heels of the great turnout.

Viktor Orban had tried throughout the campaign to turn the European elections into a referendum on war and peace. Also in order to hide the scandals within his government and obfuscate the anti-corruption challenge launched by Magyar, a lawyer who after years of militancy in the Fidesz broke with Orban and filled the squares with demonstrations against the government, as had been the case for at least 15 years.

Ties with Vladimir Putin's Russia - personal and economic - have isolated the Hungarian premier within the EU. And they have fuelled the government's propaganda of fear of conflict and attacks on 'the war policies of Brussels and Washington'.

"The results will tell us how the European people feel about war and peace," Orban had said, certain of the triumph of the populist right in power in Hungary since 2010. In Orban's vision, 'peace can be achieved if the forces of peace win in Europe and the United States', i.e. the pro-Russian sovereignists and Donald Trump.

Instead, Magyar got from the European vote the answer on which to build - with Tisza, Respect and Freedom - the challenge to Orban in the upcoming national elections in 2026. "Hungarians are fed up with Orban's corruption, lies and propaganda," Magyar said.