Hungary's opposition party Tisza, led by Peter Magyar, defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition by securing a majority in Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results released by the National Election Office (NEO).

With 98.13% of votes counted by the NEO, Tisza had won 53.62% of the vote and was projected to win 138 of the 199 parliament seats, exceeding the two-thirds threshold. Orban's ruling Fidesz-KDNP alliance received 37.79% and was projected to win 55 seats. 

Addressing supporters in Budapest, 45-year-old Magyar hailed his party's "decisive victory," saying it was a win seen "from every Hungarian window." He added that Hungary will once again be a strong ally in the European Union (EU) and NATO.

Orban, 62, conceded defeat. "The election results, though not yet final, are clear and understandable; for us, they are painful but unambiguous," he told reporters. "We have not been entrusted with the responsibility and opportunity to govern. I congratulated the winning party."

The victory of the center-right Tisza party signals the imminent end of Orban's 16 consecutive years in power. Orban served as Hungary's prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and has remained in office since returning to power in 2010.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday extended congratulations to Hungary's Tisza party led by Peter Magyar on winning the parliamentary elections.

Noting that China attaches great importance to the development of China-Hungary relations, the ministry's spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China is willing to, on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, strengthen high-level exchanges with the new Hungarian government, enhance political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation and boost people-to-people and cultural exchanges to better benefit the two peoples.

"Hungary has chosen Europe," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media just 17 minutes after Orban conceded defeat. "Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger."

In a post on X, French President Emmanuel Macron said he held a meeting with Magyar to congratulate him on the victory, describing it as a win for democratic participation and European values, adding that both countries would work towards a stronger and more sovereign Europe.

The office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney extended congratulations to Magyar and his Tisza Party, expressing optimism about future cooperation. The statement, posted on X, noted that Canada looks forward to working with the incoming government to strengthen bilateral ties and advance shared priorities, including economic prosperity and global security.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also congratulated Magyar, while acknowledging outgoing leader Viktor Orban for his years of leadership. In a social media post, Meloni said Italy values its strong relationship with Hungary, adding that Italy will continue to collaborate in a constructive spirit in the interest of the two peoples and the common challenges at the European and international level.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also extended congratulations to Magyar. Rutte wrote on X on Monday: "I look forward to working with him to further strengthen Euro-Atlantic security."

US Democrats celebrated the defeat of Orban, while US President Donald Trump's allies and Republican peers offered a more mixed response to the loss of the leader that Trump had endorsed.

Trump supported Orban's reelection bid and even dispatched US Vice President JD Vance to Budapest last week to stump for him.

Congratulations also flowed in online from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Romanian President Nicusor Dan, European Council President Antonio Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also posted well-wishes.

Orban has long been regarded as a "troublemaker" within the EU.

He has frequently obstructed the EU's key policy objectives, including blocking a loan to Ukraine, EU sanctions packages targeting Russia, migration pacts and budget agreements. His administration, due to its relatively close ties with Russia, has long been seen as a security risk in sensitive EU meetings.

To resolve deadlocks over Ukraine aid and Russia-related sanctions, EU leaders have held private "pull-asides" – sidelining Orban – to negotiate compromises, or launched off-budget, intergovernmental initiatives that do not require unanimous consent.

Meanwhile, the EU has frozen billions of euros in funding for Hungary, including funds suspended over rule-of-law violations, corruption and failure to meet judicial reform requirements. While approximately 10 billion euros were released in late 2023, this decision is being challenged in court, raising fears that Hungary could face a clawback of these funds.

Magyar and his Tisza party have adopted a friendlier stance toward both the EU and NATO. Most immediately, the new leadership is widely expected to clear the way for a 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine – one that has been frozen for weeks due to Orban's objections.

"It makes things easier. You don't have the systematic blackmail," said Eric Maurice, a policy analyst at the European Policy Center, referring to the frequent obstacles that Orban has mounted. "But it does't make things easy."

Navigating the Orban government has proven challenging for EU officials, as exemplified by the 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine. EU leaders agreed to approve the loan in late 2025 and Hungary initially allowed the plan to pass. However, Orban and his party stunned Brussels in February by blocking the loan, citing Ukraine's delays in repairing a pipeline that crosses its territory to deliver Russian fuel to Hungary and Slovakia.

This hold-up was widely seen as electoral posturing ahead of Hungary's elections, where Orban's party, Fidesz, adopted an openly anti-Ukraine and anti-EU stance. Fidesz plastered unflattering images of Zelenskyy on billboards across Hungary, blaming him and the EU for rising unemployment, stagnant growth and alleged attempts to "take Hungarian money."

A few days before the election, Chatham House, a British think tank, noted on its website that the outcome of the general election would not only reshape Hungary's development trajectory but also affect the EU's ability to act in unison, rebalance influence between Russia and the West in Central Europe, and serve as a stress test for Trump's efforts to build a network of like-minded political allies in Europe.

Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University, said that following Orban's defeat, US-Hungary relations may become less close than before but will not undergo a "fundamental change."

Noting that the Tisza party is generally more pro-EU, Jian said Brussels may also exert pressure on it to bring Hungary back into line with the EU's mainstream positions on a range of issues including aid to Ukraine – a shift that could pose certain challenges for Russia.

He also pointed out, however, that Hungary remains heavily dependent on Russia for energy. The Tisza party, he argued, "will not go too far in antagonizing Russia, nor will it actively back Ukraine at the EU level." Instead, it is more likely to adopt a go‑with‑the‑flow stance.