Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission (CDU), and French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Peter Magyar on his electoral victory in Hungary, following the admission of defeat by the current Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán. Von der Leyen posted on social media, stating, “The heart of Europe beats stronger in Hungary tonight. Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary”. She added that the country is now returning to its European path, proclaiming, “The Union will be stronger”.
Macron announced that he spoke with Peter Magyar to congratulate him on his victory. The French President wrote, “France welcomes this victory as a sign of democratic participation, the commitment of the Hungarian people to the values of the European Union, and a sign of Hungary’s position in Europe. Let us work together to advance a more sovereign Europe-for the security, competitiveness, and democracy of our continent”.
While the votes from the parliamentary election are still being counted, preliminary estimates from the national election office place Magyar’s party, Tisza, clearly in the lead. This would mark a defeat for Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power. With a current vote count of 77.45 percent, Tisza is projected to secure 138 out of 199 seats, granting the newly represented party a two-thirds majority, which would allow it to amend the constitution.
Orbán’s party, Fidesz, which won 135 seats with the coalition partner KDNP in the last election, is expected to suffer a significant loss, dropping to 54 deputies. Mi Hazánk Mozgalom is estimated to receive 7 seats.
It is noted that 106 of the 199 seats in the Hungarian Parliament are awarded by a simple majority to direct candidates in single constituencies based on the first vote. For the remaining 93 mandates, all votes are counted not only from the party list votes but also from the votes received by the losing direct candidates, as well as the votes by which the constituency winners surpassed the respective second-placed candidates.