EU leaders heaped praise on Péter Magyar after his decisive election victory in Hungary against the long-serving prime minister Viktor Orbán, who many saw as a direct threat to Europe’s peace and prosperity.

“Today Europe wins and European values win,” said the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez. The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, wrote: “Hungary Poland Europe Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends! Ruszkik haza!”. Ruszkik haza translates as “Russians, go home”.

Orbán’s 16-year grip on power has tested the EU system of governance meant to ensure peace through economic and political integration after the devastation of the first and second world wars. Claiming he sought to advance the national interests of Hungarians over strategy forged in Brussels, Orbán time and again vetoed collective action such as support for Ukraine after Russia’s all-out invasion.

Recently, the far-right leader’s government outraged EU leaders and officials when it admitted to providing a backchannel to Russia during summits.

In a recent interview, Magyar told the Associated Press that if elected, he would repair Hungary’s relationship with the EU. However, he has carefully avoided taking firm positions on a number of divisive issues during the election campaign – including Orbán’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies and whether Hungary should extend more support to Ukraine.

“All Hungarians know that this is a shared victory. Our homeland made up its mind. It wants to live again. It wants to be a European country,” Magyar said in his victory speech from the banks of the Danube in Budapest, Hungary’s capital.

There was no reaction from the White House and no comment from the US vice-president, JD Vance, who had campaigned for Orbán in Budapest earlier in the week, openly admitting he was in Hungary on an “unprecedented” trip to help him win the election.

Magyar said he had received calls on Sunday night from the French president, Emmanuel Macron, Nato’s secretary-general, Mark Rutte, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the European Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen.

Congratulations also flowed in from the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, the Irish prime minister, Micheál Martin, the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, and the European parliament’s speaker, Roberta Metsola. The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, the Romanian president, Nicușor Dan, and the European Council president, António Costa, also posted well-wishes, as did Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to work with Hungary. “Europe and every European nation must get stronger, and millions of Europeans seek cooperation and stability,” he said. “We are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as peace, security and stability in Europe.”

Kristersson referenced both the EU and Nato in his congratulations to Magyar: “I look forward to working closely with you – as allies and EU members. This marks a new chapter in the history of Hungary.”

Von der Leyen posted on X: “Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. Together, we are stronger. A country returns to its European path. The Union grows stronger.”

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Courtesy of Guardian News & Media Ltd.