There was no stopping it

The best photos: Euphoria after Orbán’s defeat

(Bild: AP/Denes Erdos)

Hungary has just experienced a historic election Sunday! Euphoria reigns across the country following the record-breaking turnout. People in the capital, Budapest, in particular, gave themselves over to a true frenzy of celebration.

“Hungary made history today,” emphasized the victorious Péter Magyar in his speech on Sunday evening before tens of thousands of supporters on the banks of the Danube in Budapest. “We have reclaimed our homeland.”

Never before has a party in Hungary received such strong legitimacy, he said, referring to the landslide victory and the historic voter turnout of nearly 80 percent.

This was particularly evident in Budapest—where all hell broke loose. “Vége van!” cheering crowds chanted repeatedly. Hungarian for: “It’s over!” Sixteen years of Viktor Orbán, economic ruin, and frustration over the curtailment of their own rights erupted explosively.

“Songs of joy mingled with tirades of hatred against Fidesz,” said “Krone” editor Gabor Agardi, who reported on the historic election night from the scene, describing the extraordinary atmosphere. With every additional constituency counted, the euphoria rose—and so did the alcohol levels.

People even climbed trees and streetlights to watch the celebrating crowds and the spectacle.

Young people in particular, who know no other prime minister besides Orbán, cheered on the right bank of the Danube. There, supporters of the new TISZA party led by election winner Péter Magyar (45) had gathered.

At that spot, a confidant of the future prime minister also drew big smiles with an unconventional dance routine (see tweet above). Zsolt Hegedűs’s “victory dance” on the party stage on the banks of the Danube racked up over a million views overnight.

He is one of the key figures in Magyar’s team and a leading candidate for Hungary’s Ministry of Health.

Reporters also described people in tears who could not believe that Orbán’s regime had actually been defeated. Fears ahead of Election Sunday were high: How reliable are the polls? What impact will the electoral law have? Will Orbán’s Fidesz try to rig the election on Sunday? 

None of these fears came to pass. Orbán accepted the defeat, leading to a huge sigh of relief across Europe. “The election results, though not yet final, are clear. For us, they are painful, but unambiguous,” said the long-time prime minister on Sunday evening at the Fidesz election rally. Magyar posted on Facebook that Orbán had called to congratulate him on the election victory. By then, at the latest, there was no holding back.

Supporters of the Hungarian TISZA party living in Vienna also celebrated Magyar’s victory over Orbán on Sunday evening at an election party in Vienna’s 2nd district. “When I see the Hungarian flag now, I feel proud,” a visitor told the APA. The word “hope” was what people here mentioned most often when thinking about Hungary’s future.

Under Orbán’s Fidesz, many Hungarians living abroad had felt like second-class citizens: “They called us traitors.” The past few weeks had been exhausting. But it had been worth it. The prevailing sentiment: “Long live Hungary!”