What’s Next for Hungary After Orbán’s Election Loss?

Will Hungary’s new government steer the country in a more globalist, Euro-centric direction?

On Sunday, Hungarian voters ousted Victor Orbán and elected by a landslide Péter Magyar as prime minister. Magyar is a lawyer, one-time European Parliament member, and former Orbán loyalist.

Not only did Magyar win decisively, but his Tisza party locked in a supermajority in the Hungarian parliament by winning two-thirds of the seats. This gives the new government the power to make big changes, including the ability to tinker with the nation’s constitution. Magyar’s victory triggered a wave of glee among Western elites.

Orbán served four terms, for a total of 16 years. On Sunday, he conceded defeat, calling the result “painful” but “clear” and “understandable.” Orbán’s loss has been largely attributed to economic grievances.

While domestic policies were top of mind for the Hungarian electorate, outsiders are interested in what influence the new leadership will have on European politics. Orbán kept at bay some of the EU’s worst policies and tendencies. Now globalists are probably salivating at the thought of conquering Hungary as well.

EU Embrace

Hungary is a member of the European Union and NATO. And in Europe, those supranational organizations exercise great power over member states’ foreign and domestic policies. In fact, the EU is witholding €17 billion allocated to Hungary, supposedly over concerns of judicial independence and corruption in the Orbán government. Orbán, however, has said the real reason was to punish his government over its strict immigration laws and resistance to LGBTQ+ ideology. He has also accused the EU of trying to damage the economy as part of an agenda to generate enough dissatisfaction among the people to get him dislodged from power.  

On Monday, Magyar signaled that under his leadership, Hungary will seriously consider joining the Eurozone, the currency union. He said, “The majority of Hungarian people and the majority of Hungarian business leaders believe that it would give the Hungarian economy a degree of stability if we set a date for joining the eurozone.” Twenty-one EU countries have joined the Eurozone. Hungary is one of six that hasn’t. Countries that haven’t joined cite fears of losing national control over monetary policy.

Comments from high-ranking EU and NATO leaders suggest they expect Hungary’s policies to shift in their favor.

Following Magyar’s victory, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said to Hungarians, “You have chosen Europe. It’s a victory for fundamental freedoms.”

Like a majority of mainstream Western politicians, the Eurocrats have their own definition of “freedom.” During the madness of the Covid era, they attempted — and they largely succeeded — to force most of the continent into house arrest. The Eurocrats also imposed immense pressure on member states to force their citizens to take the Covid injection. In this regard, Western Europe was more compliant than Eastern Europe. And to date, the Eurocrats continue to push digital censorship, deviant cultural policies at the expense of traditional Christian views, and economy- and liberty-crushing green initiatives, mostly through a carrot-and-stick financial apparatus.

NATO Boost

Hungary’s new leadership is also expected to boost NATO power. According to reports, Magyar’s Tisza party has vowed to “raise defense spending to NATO’s 5 percent of GDP target by 2035, invest in Hungary’s army, review defense industry contracts for corruption, and carry out sweeping reforms aimed at rooting out Russian influence across government.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that he had a good call with Magyar after his win and that he was looking forward “to working with him to further strengthen Euro-Atlantic security.”

The globalists at the Council on Foreign Relations appear optimistic about Hungary’s new direction, as well. Their publication, Foreign Affairs, noted in an article published Monday:

Orbán’s loss clears the way for greater European support for Ukraine, although the Tisza party is expected to oppose sending weapons or troops to Ukraine.… Magyar’s win could also clear the way for a new sanctions package on Russia, which Orbán had also vetoed. The incoming prime minister has promised to put an end to Russian influence in Hungary, which would boost momentum for European efforts to place more pressure on Russia.

Unlike officials in Germany, the U.K., France, and Poland, Orbán held a rational view of the Russian “threat.” Whereas the others repeatedly pushed the hysteric narrative that the Russians plan to roll through Europe once they finish off Ukraine, Orbán acknowledged the obvious. “The Russians are too weak for that,” he has said. “They’re not even capable of defeating Ukraine, so they’re incapable of really attacking NATO.” That is the same conclusion the Americans have reached — and it’s the most rational one, given that Russia has been mired in Eastern Ukraine despite four years of intense fighting and bombing.

Ukraine Happy

As for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he’s ready to put Hungary on his perpetual hat-in-hand European tour. “Congratulations to Péter Magyar and the TISZA party on their resounding victory. It is important when a constructive approach prevails,” Zelensky said in a social media post. “We are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as peace, security, and stability in Europe.”

Hungary’s incoming prime minister has already signaled that he won’t stand in the way of a big loan the EU had been trying to dole out to Ukraine for months. Under Orbán, Hungary blocked a loan of €90 billion to Ukraine. “He said he wouldn’t allow the funds to be released until Ukraine repaired a pipeline carrying Russian oil through the country to Hungary,” according to reports. In August, Ukraine struck the Russian Druzhba oil pipeline system, located inside Russia, that delivers oil to landlocked Hungary.

While it won’t stand in the way of Ukraine getting the loan, Magyar said Hungary will not contribute from its own coffers. “I will discuss with European leaders but I personally agree that Hungary should opt out, Hungary is in a very difficult situation,” said Magyar. “We cannot take out even more loans, the Hungarian budget deficit has tripled since 2010.”

Policy Positions

Regarding Hungary’s common-sense yet vilified immigration policies, comments by Magyar on Monday indicate his administration will continue said policies. Euro News reported that Magyar opposes the EU’s migration pact and will maintain the border fence built by Orbán’s government. “Hungary takes a very strict stance on illegal migration,” he said. “It will not accept any pact or allocation mechanism, and we will keep the southern border fence — and patch up the holes that are there now.” The Eurocrats will likely try to persuade him to reconsider this.

As for where Magyar stands on LGBTQ issues, the general consensus is that, at most, he may lift the ban on pride parades implemented by the Orbán government. LGBTQ advocates complained that he hadn’t said enough about the issue.