Europe celebrates as Orbán's landslide defeat deals a blow to Putin and Trump

EuropeEurope celebrates as Orbán's landslide defeat deals a blow to Putin and TrumpLeaders across the continent hailed the end of Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule in Hungary as a return to unity in the European Union, the 27-nation bloc that he criticized and sought to undermine. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Peter Magyar waves the Hungarian flag at a victory rally in Budapest on Sunday.Denes Erdos / APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 13, 2026, 7:28 AM EDTBy Patrick SmithLONDON — “Europe! Europe!” was the chant ringing out from the banks of the Danube after an election landslide that was celebrated across the continent as a stunning defeat for those threatening its security.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Presidents, prime ministers and European Union officials hailed the end of Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule in Hungary as a return to unity and shared values in the European Union, the 27-nation bloc that he criticized and sought to undermine. Orbán, a close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump, is viewed as a trailblazer for the global hard right. He conceded defeat Sunday night in what turned out to be a sweeping victory for challenger Peter Magyar and the center-right Tisza Party, which successfully united the country's opposition behind a vow to restore ties with Europe.Tisza was set to win 138 seats in the 199-seat parliament, with almost all votes counted.A succession of leaders called Magyar to offer their congratulations even before he took to the stage to address large crowds in the capital Budapest to declare victory.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X: “Hungary, Poland, Europe, Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!” He added “Ruszkik haza,” meaning “Russians go home” in Hungarian, a reference to Orban's backing for Putin and repeated veto on European support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion.In a video clip posted by Tusk,...