Just some thoughts on the remarkable weekend in which, as many anticipated, Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz Party were handily defeated by a united opposition under Peter Magyar's Tisza Party.

Sixteen years is enough for most democratic publics

There seems to be an almost inbuilt tolerance for parties of twelve to 16 years in most Western democracies. In Germany, Angela Merkel lasted sixteen years. Before her time, Helmut Kohl was chancellor for 16 years from 1982 to 1998. The Social Democrat Bruno Kreisky was a beloved chancellor in Austria from 1970 to 1983. Mark Rutte/VVD‑led coalitions lasted from 2010–2024 in the Netherlands.

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