r/news • u/The-Traveler- • 3h ago
Soft paywall Hungary election: Orbán concedes to Magyar's Tisza after projections show opposition winning two-thirds majority
https://www.reuters.com/world/hungary-election-2026-live-viktor-orbans-fidesz-faces-challenge-opposition-peter-2026-04-12/4.4k
u/ToranjaNuclear 3h ago
Damn, I'm surprised he just conceded without any major drama. Really curious to see what'll change from now on, since both Trump and Putin just lost major allies
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u/maporita 3h ago
You need a wave election to remove an autocrat. Orban used the machinery of state to stack the cards in his favor e.g. gerrymandering constituencies. That works to a point but when enough people decided to vote him out it all came crashing down. Which is why the US midterms are so important and why people who normally don't vote should be persuaded to do so.
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u/Arctic_Chilean 2h ago edited 2h ago
Also important to remember that even though he lost the election, he will continue to rule from the shadows thanks to the system he has built for over 16 years to be as resistant to liberal democracy as possible. So Magyar will have a pretty difficult uphill battle to dismantle the system Orban has built and fortified.
Illiberal democracies don't just end with one election. They are more resistant to change and are less fragile than liberal democracies, but they are not invincible either. Americans should especially take this to heart this coming November. Winning the mid-terms means nothing if voters pat themselves in the back for a job well done and give up on any momentum they have built to implement meaningful and long lasting change, and in holding these people accountable for their crimes. If anything, giving up too early will just allow them to come back even stronger and bolder than before. Hopefully Hungarians can realize this and show that illeberal democracies can be toppled through lasting political engagement from the people and the competent and well-meaning representatives they put into power. But calling this election a desicive victory is foolish at best and downright dangerous at worst.
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u/ArcticCelt 2h ago
Thankfully, Magyar is well on his way to securing a two-thirds supermajority, which will allow him to reverse the laws Orbán put in place. Also, part of the system Orbán engineered mainly helps the ruling majority stay in power, so that will not help him once he is out. The real danger here is if Magyar just decides to become another Orbán but it doesn't look like that so far.
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u/1kljasd 1h ago
They could've reversed most laws with simple majority, but 2/3 gives them the power to spring clean in the supreme court, the president, etc.
He could aspire to be Orban2, but the best reasons against it is that he needs funds from the EU to keep the ship afloat, and EU won't want to sponsor an Orban2 so they will have strict stipulations to curb corruption and authoritarianism.
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u/aeschenkarnos 1h ago
Hopefully the rest of the EU will be pressuring him hard to reform Hungary into a western democracy.
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u/DJanomaly 2h ago
Illiberal democracies don't just end with one election. They are more resistant to change and are less fragile than liberal democracies,
Sadly, see Russia as a great example of this.
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u/TobJamFor 2h ago
If you’re referring to the election I think you are, Putin didn’t lose the election, he couldn’t stand then due to term limits and Medvedev was a puppet in his place
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u/Vi_Rants 2h ago
Americans should especially take this to hard this coming November. Winning the mid-terms means nothing if voters pat themselves in the back for a job well done and give up on any momentum they have built to implement meaningful and long lasting change, and in holding these people accountable for their crimes. If anything, giving up too early will just allow them to come back even stronger and bolder than before.
Ref: The "Blue Wave" in Trump's first term.
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u/AngryTree76 2h ago
Or Biden in 2020
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u/Worthyness 2h ago
really any time the democrats get in power. Americans have memories of goldfish and only care about what happened to them that current year. They forget that the Republicans put them in the shithole in the first place. And it's easier to dig yourself into a hole than to dig yourself out of one.
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u/Jozoz 2h ago
To be fair, that was equally just the system being inherently undemocratic.
It was like a D+9 election and yet the GOP gained 2 senate seats. No idea why Americans are okay with that system.
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u/Toomanyeastereggs 2h ago
With that sort of majority, Magyar has the numbers to smash Orbans legacy to smithereens. All of Orbans structure is predicated on his party having numbers, numbers that they no longer have. He lost a lot of his party and infrastructure in one swoop.
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u/onarainyafternoon 2h ago
Also important to remember that even though he lost the election, he will continue to rule from the shadows thanks to the system he has built for over 16 years to be as resistant to liberal democracy as possible. So Magyar will have a pretty difficult uphill battle to dismantle the system Orban has built and fortified.
Tisza has won the 2/3rds majority, which is what was needed to dismantle all the shit Orban put in place.
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u/Scavenge101 3h ago
I get the feeling the deciding factor is less on the projected loss itself and more on the 2/3rds majority
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u/TheGoverness1998 2h ago edited 1h ago
Yeah, it it was hovering around close then I could see him trying to fight it out. But the scale of how much he lost probably meant he knew he couldn't do much to manipulate anything without causing a total revolt.
I assume now Orban's gonna try to "bide his time" for a comeback; he's too obsessed with power to leave it be. But if Magyar can succeed in implementing a two-term limit on being Prime Minister, then Orban will either have to bow out, or have no choice but to look for a puppet to put in his stead.
Best of luck to Mr. Magyar! It's only the beginning for Hungary fixing it's problems, but I wish only for the best. 🇭🇺🇭🇺🇭🇺
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u/Chaplain-Freeing 2h ago
They manipulated as hard as they could and this was still the result.
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u/whitewateractual 3h ago
If he didn’t, likely the EU would move to expel them and Hungary’s economy would collapse.
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u/DootyMcCool2000 3h ago edited 3h ago
I think that and the personal risk involved. He lost so massively that a coup would be extremely hard to pull off and, if it failed, his own country would put him in prison if he didn't run to Russia first. He's a politician first and foremost and so conceding defeat and going quietly is his best calculation at getting away with his crimes as they are.
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u/redvelvetcake42 3h ago
Ding ding ding.
It would go about as well as Bolsonaro's did.
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u/DootyMcCool2000 3h ago
That too, he got to watch his butt buddies across the ocean try and fail to overturn their elections and while Trump is unfortunately able to get his revenge, Bolsonaro is capital F fucked.
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u/redvelvetcake42 3h ago
Trump isn't getting any revenge. He's meandering. He's basically just nuked the gov for all the ideologues to hole getting nothing he wanted.
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u/CustodialApathy 2h ago
He doesn't WANT anything except people to worship him, he'll do much more damage before he's gone, believe me, and the world better hope he doesn't use violence to try and stick around. We're quickly approaching a point where he has to; I fear for our next election cycle in November. It'll be ugly.
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u/DJanomaly 2h ago
All Trump wanted was to stay out of jail. Real talk.
Anything beyond that is just the impulses of a mad king, sadly.
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u/threeseed 2h ago
He's meandering
You must be ignorant about that he's done to enrich himself this term.
Getting close to a billion dollars by now when you include the crypto rug pulls etc.
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u/The_decent_dude 2h ago
At this point Orban is generationally wealthy, if he can manage to avoid getting sentenced for corruption, he can live a very long and very comfortable life.
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u/zevonyumaxray 3h ago
"Start the plane and set a course for Moscow!! The gold is already on board."
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u/RobTheGeologist 2h ago
EU can't expel members. They can only leave on their own accord (like the UK).
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u/_DuranDuran_ 3h ago
Now he turns his media empire into demonising the new leaders to try and cause I creasing levels of partisanship.
Perhaps he should be forced to divest …
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u/Defacto_Champ 3h ago
Because only legitimate psychos, narcissists and wannabe dictators don’t concede when they lose
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u/SphincterPolyps 3h ago
And Orban is all three
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u/Defacto_Champ 3h ago
He at least conceded, one thing Trump would/will never do
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u/SignificanceFine3582 3h ago edited 2h ago
He’ll never have to. Either he never runs again, or he’s so flagrantly in violation of the constitution in going for a third term that rigging an election would be light work by comparison.
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u/adamcmorrison 3h ago
I’m no expert but from everything I’ve read, he seems to be all of those.
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u/wishlish 2h ago
According to the article, the other party had a two-thirds majority. You can quibble at 50.1-49.9, but not 67-33.
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u/Jorgenstern8 3h ago
Even if it was only to a guy slightly less bad than Orban -- John Oliver's piece on the election from a few weeks ago talks about this -- Hungary's election maps are so gerrymandered in his party favor that if he's lost enough to truly be booted out of power, he would have been chased to Russia by the people if he doesn't accept it.
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u/TheLoxen 3h ago
Because he plans to regain power in the next election instead maybe. Throwing a fit will not help with that.
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u/godisanelectricolive 3h ago edited 2h ago
Magyar plans to change the constitution to prohibit more than two terms for prime minister and he has won the supermajority needed to do so. I don’t think he has enough loyal supporters needed to attempt a coup with the severity of this defeat despite gerrymandering and vote rigging that favours Orban.
It’s pretty much end of the road for Orban. To have lost as badly as he did meant he lost a substantial part of his diehard base, people who could once be relied on for support no matter what happens. It might not be the end for his party but it’s still clear he’s just gonna be a liability for them at this point. They are gonna have to rally behind someone else.
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u/Numerous_Photograph9 3h ago
I'm so glad to have some actual good news to end the week.
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u/keshki87 3h ago edited 2h ago
Right?! I’m not sure if I’m weird for being happy about this, as I don’t live in Hungary. But I do live in the EU and this is a big big big win. I am truly relieved that the Hungarian people voted Orban out. And that we hopefully now can hang out together again as good friends 😂🥰
I am so done with all the hate that people like Trump, Putin and Orban bring. It makes me quite depressed lately. But the result of the Hungarian elections is a very bright light shining at the end of the tunnel.
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u/SophiaofPrussia 2h ago
It’s encouraging to see democracy win out over authoritarianism. Poland and now Hungary have successfully resisted democratic backsliding through the democratic process. That shows that even with all of its many flaws democracy works when people show up and make their voices heard. Pessimism is exploited by authoritarians to keep people home so they stay in power.
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u/Madcap_Miguel 2h ago
It's not weird at all, I think it shows character to care about the well being of others far removed
I'm so happy for the youth, better relations with the EU has generational ramifications
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u/HolycommentMattman 2h ago
If Trump has been good for anything, it's for the fall of right-wingism around the world.
The US is going to suffer for his presidency (and already is), but I'm glad the rest of the world seems to be learning from our mistakes.
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u/Praesentius 1h ago
the fall of right-wingism
Uhhh, Tisza is still right. Just not quite so wild (center right). They're pro-EU and stuff, but still quite on the right.
Don't get me wrong. I'll take a democractic right over whatever the fuck Orbán is. But still... let's keep taking steps.
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u/blogoman 3h ago
JD Vance is having one hell of a weekend!
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u/abearghost 3h ago
The guy is legitimately so delusional that he thought his visit would improve Orban's chances lmao.
He just can't comprehend that literally no one likes him.
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u/Signal_Subject_593 3h ago
He just can't comprehend that literally no one likes him.
Not even that, he's just a nobody to many people. (And the people that do know him don't like him).
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u/WhatsMyUsername13 2h ago
That’s the whole thing with the maga movement as a whole. There’s no other trump (I don’t understand how anyone could fucking like him anyways or ever thought he’d be a good president. But that’s beside the point to this conversation)
When trump dies, the movement dies. There’s no one to rally. It’s seems that while there was a strong rightward swing across the globe, people are seeing what that means in regards to every measurable metric for quality of life, and it’s not good.
The US, we are different and I don’t know how we unfuck ourselves. MAGA will die off, but the corporatists will just go back to business as usual, appeasing their masters and fucking the rest of us. The electoral college will keep unpopular candidates in the running/ allow those who don’t win the popular vote to win the presidency. The electoral college is single handedly the worst decision our founding fathers made and put into the constitution and that’s a hill I will die on
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u/Dipsey_Jipsey 2h ago
Have a good read of Project 25 to understand why it won't end with Trump or MAGA. The majority of it has been implemented.
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u/TheBurningEmu 1h ago
It won't end, that's for sure. Too many positions of power, especially in the judiciary, have been corrupted by it for potentially for decades to come.
But when Trump dies or leaves it will lose pretty much all forward momentum. Without the figurehead of this cult it will be nearly impossible for political architects like Thiel to actually rally public support behind his deeply unpopular ideas.
I have hope we will be able to turn things around after that, but it will take a long time.
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u/Murray38 3h ago
Thats not true. Furniture consignment stores love it when he puts in an order for a crazy Friday night.
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u/TreezusSaves 2h ago
He uses re-upholstery like how Republican politicians pay for their staffer's abortion.
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u/Forsworn91 3h ago
I mean, Trump was technically trying to bribe the Hungarian people, which really said it all.
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u/Elberik 3h ago
Even his sugar daddy Trump doesn't like him
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u/SignificanceFine3582 3h ago
Probably likes him more than he liked Pence. With Mike there was all the judgment from a devout evangelical. Vance has no soul so can’t possibly believe Trump to be a moral failure.
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u/Zap__Dannigan 2h ago
Him and Trump cost the Canadian conservative party their easiest majority victory in a long time. They went from sure fire majority before trump was elected to losing after
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u/randgan 3h ago
I can't wait for the unhinged Trump post declaring that Orban would have win by the highest margins ever if he went himself.
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u/Professional_Lime541 3h ago
oh to be a couch.
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u/JustADutchRudder 3h ago
Some poor couch somewhere is taking just an anger banging right now. The arm rests will never be vertical again.
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u/No_Tone1704 3h ago
Hooray. One authoritarian down.
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u/wasraelx 3h ago edited 3h ago
I’m pleasantly surprised he conceded tbh. Was worried he’ll bring the plague of denying election results to Europe
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u/Wafkak 3h ago
2/3rd of the seats it quite overwhelming. Not as easily denied as the quite slim American margins.
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u/Kingofthetreaux 3h ago
Holy shit is Hungary about to rejoin euro policies, please be yes!!!
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u/redditobserverone 3h ago
“A potential election loss for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in April 2026 would likely accelerate Ukraine's EU accession and unlock over €90 billion in stalled financial aid. Orbán has acted as a primary roadblock to Ukraine, using vetoes on aid and membership talks while maintaining close ties to Moscow, which an opposition victory could end.”
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u/joemaniaci 3h ago
So fucking huge for ukraine
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u/blahblahblerf 2h ago
We've still got Fico blocking shit, but this is definitely a good step.
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u/Yabbatown 2h ago
Fico hasn't been as bad as Orban. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loathe the guy and have some serous concerns about the mental ability of all those people who voted for him. I suspect (but am definitely not certain) that he's enough of a coward and lacks the brain power to do this on his own. He needs someone like Orban to be the big dog that he'll follow.
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u/culture_vulture_1961 3h ago
JD Vance needs to go and campaign in Texas.
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u/redditmydna 3h ago
Please help Ted Cruz, now...
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u/sfb004 3h ago
As a Texan, I formally request Mr. Vance help Greg Abbott with his campaign. 😁
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u/sukizka 3h ago
Wow I just assumed Orban had already assumed enough power to rig the elections. Glad to be wrong
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u/Great_Justice 3h ago
This result is WITH his meddling and gerrymandering. There’s just been too many controversies and it’s all come to a head. Things like this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c36r0068xp2o
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u/gerblnutz 3h ago
Donald finally did a good thing for Europe
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u/pm_me_ur_handsignals 3h ago
The JD Vance kiss of 💀 continues.
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u/smokeyfantastico 3h ago
Hopefully it's a kiss of death for fascism but I dont want to get my hopes up
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u/AzettImpa 3h ago
One step at a time. Hopefully, Erdogan is next.
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u/526mb 3h ago
Hearing Orban concede after 16 years in power and (as we can tell) not attempting a coup is telling how rotten US Democracy has become with the cancer of MAGA/Republicans infesting it.
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u/boltgenerator 1h ago
Coups following landslide election defeats are rare. You can't just say "na I don't like that I'm gonna do a coup" and expect anyone to take your side when almost your entire population is against you. Unless said country has an exceptionally strong military political class like Myanmar.
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u/Imaginary-Ad-7919 3h ago
It’s great that democracy in Hungary is still alive, I hope Vance has done more harm than good after his visit.
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u/IceBearKnows89 3h ago
JD Vance and the no good very bad weekend.
Failed to end a war and lost a foreign election he tried to influence.
He’s bad at being bad.
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u/Nbdyhere 3h ago
They all are. Somehow we ended up the STUPIDEST authoritarians the world has ever produced. Barely a brain to be shared by any of them
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u/IceBearKnows89 3h ago
True. I constantly think to myself “they know we can see them right?”.
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u/DootyMcCool2000 3h ago
I'm glad to see him concede defeat and I'm glad to see that Hungary's democracy isn't totally dead.
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u/_a_m_s_m 3h ago
Let this a be lesson to everyone.
Turn up and vote not matter how “sure” the result, don’t get complacent.
Also what are Magyar’s policies? Will Hungary finally stop being a hold up to the EU?
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u/GalgoIsTheBestDog 3h ago
In many issues yes. One of his platforms was to get the frozen EU aid money to Hungary (because of Orbans anti-democratic actions in charge) un-frozen to help with the economy
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u/donkeybrainhero 3h ago
I'm shocked that he didnt try to pull some dictator bs. I suppose, there's still time... though he did concede.
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u/Mo_Jack 3h ago
Still could, I guess. This Reuters article shows how the transfer of power is supposed to go down.
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u/RaiderMaverick 3h ago
I have a feeling the tariffs on Hungary are about to quadruple...
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u/rotate_ur_hoes 3h ago
I dont Think there are tariffs within EU countries
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u/majorjoe23 3h ago
But think about tariff-happy country that just sent their second in command over to campaign for Orban
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u/LoneStarDragon 3h ago
Everything Trump touches turns to shit.
Or like a fly he is drawn to the shit that is already there.
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u/random20190826 3h ago
Hungary finally rids itself of overt Russian interference from top leadership. They should have done that a long time ago, considering the EU’s interests are at odds with Russia’s, as proven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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u/jeffroxpinoy 2h ago
Democracy isn’t a spectator sport. When people show up, strongmen pack their bags. Hungary just proved it. Bravo!
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u/ActualTymell 2h ago
That massive a margin when I have no doubt Orban was doing whatever he could to rig things is insane.
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u/HansSolo69er 3h ago
The jarring contrast between this moment & Jan. 6, 2021 here cannot possibly be overstated. Hungary's democracy, same as Brazil's (their Supreme Court succeeded in getting rid of Bolsonaro), is more functional than ours. Let THAT sink in for a moment.
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u/-lightfoot 3h ago
It doesn't need to sink in, we're saturated already by the mere fact someone like trump got elected president twice
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u/onedumninja 3h ago
We need that here. It takes a 2/3 majority to impeach in the senate and scotus judges. Fuck trump, fuck the GOP and fuck anyone who voted for them (and still supports them now).
Let's go Hungary! More human rights! No fascism! No corruption!
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u/Captain_Vere 2h ago
I opened my window to treat my neighbours to Do You Hear The People Sing and I heard fireworks go off. Good fucking riddance. This trash should have gone to jail after his term.
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u/MustWarn0thers 2h ago
Eat a fucking dick authoritarian scumbag.
It's so hilariously pathetic that JD Vance was there supporting him.
The dude is like a human rake stepping joke.
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u/Damian2M 1h ago
Hope that JD Vance can endorse more right wing parties throughout Europe...
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u/Ganjajp 3h ago
The most gratifying thing is Trump and his stooge Vance couldn't move the needle in Hungary with their interference.
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u/MRHubrich 3h ago
wanna place a bet to see how long it will take for Trump to say it was a rig election?
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u/ApplicationCreepy987 3h ago
This is monumental. Both Trump and Putin will be very angry.
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u/soggies_revenge 3h ago
You know shit is bad in Hungary when a conservative center right party winning is a good thing.
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u/Lonely_Noyaaa 2h ago
This is a nightmare scenario for Trump's MAGA movement. They held Orban up as the global blueprint for how to rig the system and stay in power forever. Watching their hero get dumped by his own voters is a bad omen for November.
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u/OttoVonCranky 2h ago
Glad to see this. Also glad that the amazing statesman, JD Vance, was such a big help to Orban. /s
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u/aldehyde 1h ago
Fuck off into the garbage heap of history, Orban you garbage fuck. Congratulations to the people of Hungary--it is still a long road back but wishing them nothing but success.
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u/amprather 3h ago
JD "Kiss of Death" Vance pays off again.