Orbán's defeat in Hungarian elections: why does this strengthen European right-wing forces?

On 12 April 2026, Viktor Orbán's 16-year tenure as prime minister of Hungary ended when he lost the election to Péter Magyar. Bulgarian political analyst Ivan Krastev argues that this paradoxically strengthens European right-wing forces, but distances them from Russia and the US.

On 12 April 2026, an era ended in Hungary. Viktor Orbán stepped down from the post of prime minister after 16 years in power. His successor was Péter Magyar, who led the opposition to its first victory since the height of Orbán's popularity. Many journalists interpreted this change as a sign of weakening European right-wing populism.

Krastev's paradoxical thesis

However, Bulgarian political analyst Ivan Krastev presents a different analysis in Foreign Affairs magazine. In his view, Orbán's defeat may paradoxically strengthen European right-wing forces as a whole. According to Krastev, Orbán was the face of European right-wing populism, but also a symbol of its weakness; his authoritarian and pro-Moscow course became a burden for many conservative right-wingers.

Until now, European right-wing forces bore the weight of a shared identity that was too closely associated with Orbán's personality and his Moscow-friendly policies. With Orbán's departure, European right-wing movements have the opportunity to reinvent themselves, distance themselves from Russia and Trump-aligned US politics, and build a new, more European conservative right-wing identity.

Impact on the European right

Krastev emphasises that this change does not signal the decline of right-wing populism in Europe, but rather its evolution. Future European right-wing forces will likely orient themselves more towards national sovereignty within the EU framework, less dependent on external influences from Moscow or Washington. The outcome of the Hungarian election is thus a sign of a broader geopolitical realignment, not merely a shift in one country's domestic politics.