Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar says Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban has admitted defeat in Sunday’s elections, 16 years after coming to power and making a name as a powerful figure in the global far-right movement and friends with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Magyar made the announcement after the appearance of partial official results confirming that Tisza, his party, defeated Fidesz and is projected to have a constitutional majority.
“Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated us on the victory on the phone,” Magyar wrote on Facebook on Sunday evening.
Orban told supporters that “I congratulated the victorious party.’’
“We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well,’’ he said.
With 60% of the vote counted, Magyar’s Tisza party had more than 52% support to 38% for Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party.
Orbán has been in power since 2010.
The projection after 53% of votes were counted shows Tisza controlling 136 seats out of 199. Fidesz would have 56 mandates.
Hungarians voted in historic numbers with a turnout of 77.8%, the highest since 1990.
A Eurosceptic nationalist, who created a model of “illiberal democracy”, considered an example to be followed by Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and its admirers in Europe, Orbán managed to maintain control of the country for four terms.
BREAKING | Polls give Hungarian opposition major lead over Orban
