Orbán is out after 16 years in power — and not by a narrow margin, but in a way that could hand the opposition a two-thirds majority. This isn’t just a domestic political shift. It has immediate implications for the European Union, for NATO cohesion, and for the war in Ukraine. Under Orbán, Hungary acted as a consistent obstacle inside the EU — blocking aid to Kyiv, delaying sanctions, and maintaining close ties with Moscow. His defeat could remove that friction, making it easier for Europe to act collectively at a critical moment.
But this is also a deeper test of political systems. Orbán’s Hungary became the most prominent example of so-called “illiberal democracy” in Europe. His loss raises a key question: can systems like this be reversed through elections? Because while the result is decisive, the system he built doesn’t disappear overnight. What happens next — and whether Hungary can actually pivot — will matter just as much as the election itself.
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