Hungary’s long-serving nationalist leader Viktor Orbán has conceded defeat after 16 years in power, following a decisive victory by Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party in Sunday’s general election. Official results released early Monday showed Tisza securing 53.6 percent of the vote and 138 of 199 parliamentary seats, while Orbán’s Fidesz party won 37.8 percent and 55 seats. The far-right Our Homeland party gained six seats. Péter Magyar celebrated the outcome in Budapest, declaring that Hungarians had overthrown an authoritarian system and rewritten history.

Magyar pledged to unite the nation and emphasized that voter turnout reached a record 79.5 percent, the highest in Hungary’s democratic history. His campaign focused on distancing Hungary from Russia and strengthening ties with the European Union and Ukraine, contrasting sharply with Orbán’s close relationships with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Analysts described the election as the most significant since the end of the communist era.

Orbán’s popularity had waned amid economic stagnation, corruption allegations, and international isolation. Magyar, once a loyal Fidesz member, broke with the party in 2024 after a scandal and later joined Tisza, leading it to this historic victory.