Hungary鈥檚 moving message to populists
A longtime ruler鈥檚 lies about his opponent, P茅ter Magyar, failed against a message of love, truth, and reconciliation that won big in Sunday鈥檚 election.
A man waves a Hungarian flag as people in Budapest celebrate the April 12 election of P茅ter Magyar and his Tisza party.
Sam McNeil/AP
Populist politicians in Europe, whether left or right who use tactics of demonization and division to amass power, have been put on notice. In a much-watched election on April 12, voters in Hungary ousted Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n, who epitomized the continent鈥檚 identity politics of fear and hate over the past 16 years. In record turnout, they soundly opted for P茅ter Magyar, an astute coalition-builder who overcame a smear campaign thrown at him by offering a 鈥渕essage of love鈥� to all Hungarians.
In a speech after his Tisza party won a supermajority in Parliament, Mr. Magyar touched on the election鈥檚 meaning: 鈥淚t is a sin to divide the nation.鈥� He attacked a system of lies and corruption, not individuals. He called on supporters to reconcile with members of Mr. Orb谩n鈥檚 party, Fidesz, despite that party鈥檚 鈥渦s versus them鈥� tactics.
In a phone call with the outgoing prime minister, Mr. Magyar told聽Mr. Orb谩n聽that reunifying Hungary, a Central European country of 9.6 million people, was now their shared responsibility. And in a challenge to populism鈥檚 tendency to create enemies that don鈥檛 exist, he told supporters: 鈥淎s the winner of the election, we will have to extend a hand to our fellow countrymen.鈥�
Mr. Magyar鈥檚 party is very diverse on policy issues. Yet all Hungarians long for 鈥渕oving away from constant hysteria and toward a governmental focus on everyday issues,鈥� Gabor Gyori, a political analyst with the Policy Solutions research organization in Budapest, told The New York Times. Indeed, Tisza鈥檚 victory was driven in part by its appeals for clean governance, better health care, and improved relations with the European Union 鈥� including its unifying democratic values.
鈥淓urope鈥檚 heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight,鈥� European Commission President聽Ursula von der Leyen聽said in a post on X.
During the campaign, Mr. Orb谩n might have realized that the lies thrown at his opponent were not working with voters. He wisely conceded the election quickly as the ballot results rolled in. Hungary鈥檚 political order will not be instantly transformed under Tisza. Yet, among a majority of voters, a spell of deceit and vilification has now been broken.
During a campaign that took him to some 700 towns, Mr. Magyar simply told the truth about the country鈥檚 state of democracy. He largely avoided personal attacks against Mr. Orb谩n and instead offered reconciliation. His main slogan was 鈥淒o not be afraid.鈥� That was enough to burst the bubble of one of Europe鈥檚 most famed populists.