A Northport couple witnessed first hand the celebration of historic election results in Hungary this week.
Gloria and Andy Thomas knew that the national vote was to take place Sunday. But few could anticipate an upset of longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Péter Magyar, leader of the center-right opposition Tisza party, prevailed.
The Thomases had rendezvoused with Betsy and Kris Ernst, also of Northport. The Ernsts could not be reached for this story.
“The main celebrations took place on the Chain Bridge and the banks of the Danube,” Gloria said. “People were shouting, waving flags, chanting, honking horns, as they paraded through the streets.”
Instrumental was the young Hungarians that showed up to vote.
“Most have never known anyone but Orbán as president,” Gloria said.
Before the vote, polls showed that 65% of voters under 30 supported Magyar.
A total of 85% of the population cast their ballot. The largest ever turnout previously was 75%.
“The people we had a chance to talk to were looking forward to realigning with NATO, Europe, and ending the corruption, improving the healthcare system to name a few,” Gloria said. “There was worry that Orbán would challenge the vote, but he trailed so early in the polls that he had no choice but to concede to Magyar.”
Orbán held power as Prime Minister from May 2010 to April 2026. He previously served as Prime Minister from 1998 to 2002.
The victor, Magyar, campaigned on fighting corruption, but also on domestic issues, from Hungary’s stagnating economy to its poor health care.
“An interesting fact is that hospitals don’t have any toilet paper,” Gloria said.
Published reports indicate that Orbán tried to win votes by stoking fear that Hungary could be dragged into the Ukraine war.
Orbán, a close ally of Russia’s Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, conceded defeat Sunday night after polls closed.
“Everyone was surprised that he conceded so quickly after the polls closed,” Gloria said.
Thousands gathered along the Danube in Budapest in celebration, carrying torches and shouting for joy. “It was overwhelming …A sea of torches,” Gloria said.
Andy was taken aback by the size of the celebration.
“I’ve been at a lot of protests, but I’ve never seen that many people in one spot,” Andy said.
Magyar and the center-right Tisza Party, which successfully united the country’s opposition behind a vow to restore ties with Europe.
Orbán had been a thorn in the side of the European Union. His ouster could help unlock European Union which finalized a $9.5 billion loan package for Ukraine to cover financial and military needs for 2026 and 2027. The agreement, which covers two-thirds of Ukraine’s projected funding needs, involves joint EU borrowing, with repayment intended to occur only once Russia pays war reparations.
With all the votes counted, Magyar’s Tisza party secured two-thirds of seats in the Hungarian parliament, which could reverse some of the controversial changes made by Orbán.
