A few of us will be following this with keen interest I expect, voting today. For a small country (9½ million population) this does have big implications for the future of right wing populism, EU unity, Ukraine, and Russian/US influence in European politics. There's been a record turnout so far, I hope that's a good sign. Orban is very unpopular with younger and urban voters. Rural/older voters are either supportive of him, or prey to patronage issues in Fidez run towns and villages.
There are so many reasons to hope for a Magyar victory, not least to see Trump and Putin bust a few blood vessels. I know Magyar has a Fidez background and is far from being a progressive, liberal reformer, but it's a small step in the right direction imo. I know there are quite a few international electoral observers there, here's hoping it can be as fair as possible in the circumstances.
https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3mjc6yiozgc2y
If Orban wins the Hungary should leave the EU and NATO. Russia through the back door. The same argument that de Gaulle had used to stop Britain joining and letting the US in.
I think the EU are holding off on constitutional changes to limit the power of veto. They will be full steam ahead if Orban does win.
As I said on the other thread - my Hungarian colleague thinks this is what will happen.
Polls closed, a record turnout of around 77%. No exit polls in Hungary, but a summary of opinion polls over the last few days has TISZA well in the lead. I never trust the polls though and apparently 'shy' FIDEZ voters are a thing like shy tories here! First results expected to start coming in around 9 or 10 pm.
My mistake, a quarter of votes already counted. This from the Guardian Hungary Election Live web page.
This one really interests me, in terms of the direction of Europe as a whole - an Orban victory, whether genuine or after some kind of Jan 6th thing, will mean that the EU and NATO have to rethink Hungary's involvement in both. A Magyar victory - despite all his many faults - starts to signal that in the most pro-Putin/Trump country in Europe, people are prepared to stand up and face down corrupt right wing parties.
^^ Regrettably I think this won't effect Farages chances at all though but if it signals a fight back in the EU it's still good news.
We just have to endure our own MEGA phase in the knowledge that at least Farage can't trigger a global crisis.
Probably.
Woo hoo!!! Nearly half the votes counted and Magyar now projected to pass the 133 seat 'supermajority' needed to overturn many FIDEZ enacted laws.
I hope Trump chokes on a burger when he sees this.
Yes! Fantastic news! I'm amazed Oban has conceded.
The endorsement from Vance and Trump were the kiss of death! Haha!😂
Fantastic news for Ukraine.
We just have to endure our own MEGA phase in the knowledge that at least Farage can't trigger a global crisis.
I'm not so pessimistic, can't see him getting into power as things currently stand.
Anyway, fantastic news from Hungary, though only time will tell if the actions meet the expectations
Ha ha and after an “opinion” piece in the Telegraph saying that “leftists” didn’t understand how popular Orban really was…
Ha ha and after an “opinion” piece in the Telegraph saying that “leftists” didn’t understand how popular Orban really was…
Never ceases to amaze me how the Telegraph are consistently so wrong on everything!
No more objection to joining Ukraine war then? 🙄
there he is!
Who would want a morale boosting visit and endorsement from JD Vance now? 🤣 Here's hoping he turns up at Reform's HQ soon! With his Iran negotiation failure, he's having quite the week. Praying for an expletive laden 3am rage tweet from Mar-a-lago telling him he's fired.
Another one in the eye for the Putin/Trump axis 🤣🤣🤣
Praying for an expletive laden 3am rage tweet from Mar-a-lago telling him he's fired.
at it happens TIL, Vance is the one person Trump *cant* fire. His mandate is from 'the people'.
at it happens TIL, Vance is the one person Trump *cant* fire. His mandate is from 'the people'.
Oh yeah, I knew that! 😊 I'll settle for some belittling, ridicule and undermining then.
Who would want a morale boosting visit and endorsement from JD Vance now?
I would!
Please pop over to the UK for the local elections! Whilst minor as a advertising campaign says "every little helps".
DFS has continual sales so you will be sure to find the sofa of your dreams if that will swing the deal.
For Hungary considering Magyar's history I cant say I am completely optimistic.
Hungary considering Magyar's history I cant say I am completely optimistic.
Agreed. As I said in the OP Magyar has baggage, but he was elected on a mandate of better relations with the EU and rejecting Russian influence. If those things happen, Hungary and Europe will benefit.
chewkw
10 years (Ukraine war over).
Then WWIII.
Tell me tomorrows winning lottery numbers then I might believe you.😉
Apparently one of the things about being in the right wing bubble is that they just don’t realise quite how unpopular Trump is. Hence the frantic U-turning a few weeks back.
I bet trump is raging, if I was Cuba I'd be keeping my head down....
MAGA love Orban, Steve Bannon once called him "Trump, before Trump". Here's hoping this toppling of one corrupt, Putin worshiping, far right bellend gives much needed hope to US voters that they can topple another.
Really hope this is the turning point against populist fascism. And one in the eye to the Russian terrorist state. Nice one VP:JD.
poor matt Goodwin, he was getting £10k a week from orban
Vance will be collecting his US equivalent of a P45 this week. Hungary and Iran fails... hee hee
Amazing good many UK patriots are online bemoaning Oban's loss... It seems they only like democracy when it goes their way...
I've been offering thoughts and prayers in their time if need obviously.
I wonder what will happen to the 2 billion Victor paid to join Trump's Bored of Peas.
I hope Trump chokes on a burger when he sees this.
Preferably an aneurysm while he’s sat on the bog.
I hope Trump chokes on a burger when he sees this.
Preferably an aneurysm while he’s sat on the bog.
Nah, far too private. I want to see him remembered for having a massive stroke live onstage as his bowels and bladder explode in a shit n” piss shower.
So, I've only followed the election on here and on the BBC but it's all saved a bit straightforward.
No subterfuge, no claims of EU interference etc, just vote and he's gone.
Did I miss something?
Massive turnout, make it untenable to cry schenanigans. Orban also looked tired the whole campaign imo
So, I've only followed the election on here and on the BBC but it's all saved a bit straightforward.
No subterfuge, no claims of EU interference etc, just vote and he's gone.
Did I miss something?
Looks that way. I was amazed by how quickly the votes were counted, compared to a GE here. Orban conceded defeat on the evening the polls closed, just a few hours after the last vote cast. They have quite a complex electoral system too, with one vote for a regional representative and one national PR vote for a party.
I expect Orban and his cronies will start to claim there were issues over the next few days, probably with Trump and Putin wading in. Hungary is classed as a 'democratic autocracy', elections are heavily weighted in favour of the incumbent because Orban had appointed all the senior judges, electoral officials and other non-political figures (see why Donny loves him). So for Maygar to win a 'super majority' on such an unfair playing field is pretty amazing and it will be hard to credibly claim any electoral wrongdoing by him I reckon.
The super majority is important. A simple majority would have made Maygar PM, but prevented him from removing FIDEZ appointees from positions of power and influence and from changing the constitution back to a more fully democratic one. He needed a two thirds majority to do all that. Which he got.
It will be interesting to see what he does on Ukraine. Orban was using Hungary's EU veto to block a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine, further sanctions on Russia and talks on Ukraine's accession to the EU. He's no Orban, but Maygar has been very lukewarm on support for Ukraine in the past. Hopefully his anti Russian stance and desire to build bridges with the EU will encourage him to be more supportive! There's also the small matter of 20 billion euro EU funding for Hungary which was being withheld because of Orban's actions which should now be freed up.
Vance will be collecting his US equivalent of a P45 this week. Hungary and Iran fails... hee hee
He's the only person in the Whitehouse Trump can't fire. Everyone else around him is appointed but Vance is elected.
Hungary considering Magyar's history I cant say I am completely optimistic.
Agreed. As I said in the OP Magyar has baggage, but he was elected on a mandate of better relations with the EU and rejecting Russian influence. If those things happen, Hungary and Europe will benefit.
There's a pile of Orban baggage to clear out first. His loyalists run law courts and councils at both state and local levels and can veto all manner of state functions and changes.
Pro-Orban folk have displayed incredible business acumen and luck over the years. His family are millionaires and his best mate from school, Lőrinc Mészáros, who started out as a gas-fitter is now the richest person in Hungary.
Donald Tusk is still resetting institutions in Poland more than two years after PiS vacated the PM-ship, while PiS retains the Presidency.
The President of Hungary, Tamás Sulyok, was nominated by the Fidesz-KDNP alliance, but seems to be more apolitical than Karol Nawrocki in Poland.
lols
While Orban has presided over a dire economy at home hes been pumping millions into far right networks across Europe, Reforms very own Matt Goodwin has done very well out of it, in fact he was due to speak at an Orban funded event this week
Ukraine doesn’t need hungarys support, it just needs them to stop the 90 billion veto and European ambitions.
