A revolution at the ballot box? Untangingling Tisza’s win and implications for Europe

The Hungarian elections on 12 April 2026 were arguably the most important elections since the country’s democratic post 1989 transition, and certainly the EU’s most crucial elections of 2026. Political newcomer Péter Magyar and his Tisza (*Respect and Freedom*) party ousted Viktor Orbán and won a supermajority, opening up a pathway to restore the rule of law, democratic institutions, and repair relations with Hungary’s neighbors and the EU.