On 12 April 2026, Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power came to an end.  The people of Hungary voted against authoritarianism, against populist nationalism, against racism, against corruption, against Hungary’s friendship with Putin, Trump and Netanyahu; for Europe, for democracy, for basic liberties and human rights.

The result marked a collective repudiation of an illiberal governing model that had gradually re-engineered Hungary. Voters signalled a preference for constitutionalism, pluralism, and European alignment over confrontation, centralisation, and permanent mobilisation.

Orbán’s defeat was the culmination of institutional fatigue, economic discontent, and geopolitical unease. For years, Hungarian politics was framed as an existential struggle: Brussels vs. Budapest, “the people” vs. “elites,” “traditional Hungary” vs. “liberal decadence.” What once mobilised support came to feel exhausting. A large share of voters wanted a normalisation of politics: fewer culture wars, more competent governance.

Viktor Orbán’s tenure was defined by a systematic “state capture” that hollowed out democratic institutions while maintaining the outward appearance of a multi-party system. His lost popularity was the result of a structural regime collapse; a regime that had built its legitimacy on the promise of “sovereignty” and middle-class stability.

Orbán’s illiberal model was a masterclass in constitutional engineering and informational autocracy. Through his previous supermajorities, Orbán rewrote the constitution to favour Fidesz, his national-conservative party.........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)