You've likely seen the news by now that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party was decisively routed by the opposition Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar. Orban had been in power for 16 years, that time marked by an increasing turn to authoritarianism.
(As an aside, being called Peter Magyar in Hungary is like being called Pete American here. Do with that what you will.)
Tisza's win is a victory for the people of Hungary, who turned out in record numbers to repudiate the loathsome Orban. More than 80% of eligible voters across the country cast ballots. Closer to home, it's a significant blow to those on the right who embraced Orban's approach as a model for American society. Fuckers like Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, Rod Dreher, Ilya Shapiro, and our dipshit President have caped for Orban for years. The goddamn Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the front line of the reactionary right in America, has been hosting events in Hungary since 2022.
It's not an overstatement, in my ball-knowing mind, to say that Orban's defeat signals a turning point in the rise of authoritarianism across Europe. It also likely means good things for Ukraine (and by comparison, bad things for Russia). Orban's Hungary had been the lone holdout in keeping the European Union from increasing its aid to Volodmyr Zelenskyy's government. Good on you, people of Hungary.
In his victory speech, Magyar minced no words. Speaking of the Orban administration officials whose corruption and anti-democratic actions crippled the Hungarian economy, he said, "No mercy, they will need to take responsibility for all their actions." Hear me now and believe me later - I will back whatever Democrat makes that the first plank of his or her platform.
Independent journalist Caolan Robertson has been reporting from Budapest for the past several weeks. Here's a good segment he released yesterday on the mood in the streets. (It's about 16 minutes - suck it up and watch something good for you, ya filthy animals.)
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