One night, the sky turned! After 16 years of rule, Orbán's tenure has come to an end, and the opposition figure Péter Márki-Zay has been elected Prime Minister of Hungary! On April 12, the results of Hungary's general election were announced: Péter Márki-Zay emerged victorious, bringing a definitive end to Orbán’s 16-year rule. At 45, Márki-Zay was originally part of Orbán’s political camp. However, in 2024, he broke away over anti-corruption issues and subsequent rifts with Orbán’s inner circle. Since then, he has risen from a minor party to achieve a landslide victory, securing a majority of votes and gaining an absolute majority in parliament. Clearly, this outcome represents a crushing defeat for Orbán.
Why did Orbán suffer such a devastating loss? There are three main reasons. First, Hungary’s economy and people’s livelihoods have collapsed—prices for goods, energy, and food have skyrocketed, while wages have stagnated, placing immense pressure on citizens’ daily lives. The Orbán government failed to address these issues effectively, leading to widespread public disappointment. Second, corruption has become rampant. Orbán’s inner circle has engaged in collusion between politics and business, using related-party transactions to monopolize government contracts and public resources, plunging deep into judicial black holes and corrupt deals, severely undermining public trust in Orbán.
Third, Orbán’s government has been increasingly isolated within the European Union. For years, Orbán has resisted EU policies in order to secure cheap Russian energy, resulting in isolation and sanctions from the EU. The EU froze Hungary’s recovery fund and subsidies, further straining Hungary’s already fragile fiscal situation. Of course, as a strongman who ruled Hungary with an iron fist, Orbán’s governance style has also been rigid and inflexible. This time, Márki-Zay—who clearly understood Orbán’s political weaknesses—played a winning hand by campaigning on anti-corruption, pro-EU alignment, and improving living standards. In effect, he delivered a precise political blow against Orbán. Thus, Orbán’s departure from power comes as no great surprise.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862312388879369/
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