In Hungary last weekend, Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his party lost in a landslide election. For many across the world this resulted in a great sigh of relief, knowing that the far-right in Europe just suffered a huge defeat. While not trying to take away from the celebrations, we must remember that Europe’s far-right is still there and in defeat they learn.
Orban was one of the longest serving far-right leaders in Europe in the modern era. Since taking office in 2010, he built a Hungary where democracy was an afterthought. From his party rewriting the constitution to handing out government contracts to loyal allies, Orban changed Hungary. His stances became the stances of the entire nation, whether it was on immigration, contacts with Moscow or economics, no matter if it actually benefits the Hungarian people or not.
The far right will learn from Orban. They will use this election as a case study on what not to do once power is achieved. They understand that what killed Orban’s campaign was foreign policy and the youth vote. In previous election cycles, Orban campaigned hard on his arm’s length approach to the European Union. He positioned himself as a roadblock to Europe on issues such as immigration. Now, in 2026, that same roadblock stance hurt his campaign as his opposition made it a key issue to strengthen ties with Brussels. Orban’s comments on Ukraine, and how his opponent was a puppet of Kyiv, did not find favor with the voting public. This is what the far-right will learn from going into regional, federal and EU elections. Don’t be surprised if far-right politicians distance themselves from making comments on Ukraine or their Euroscepticism. On the youth vote, Orban lost because of his inability to effectively use modern media outlets. He also lost because of the crackdowns his government had on nightlife.
In Orban’s defeat, Europe’s far-right lost a huge player and spouter of far-right ideals and policies. Europe’s far-right will shutter in the short term with no veteran leader, but there’s a possibility that they work better from the outside in. Being removed from government and policy making, they can paint a picture of the political elite and how they are “fighting against them.” From the outside, they can always push problems on the current ruling party and leaders. They don’t have to take accountability for the issue their country faces. Then, they can run campaigns of being the people who can fix the nation. Running campaigns that portray them as the “defenders and fighters for a better nation” while their opponents are the issue. From the outside, they can point out a “problem” and then be the “solution” to that “problem.”
Another point to be made is the fact that there are still far right leaders in some European countries. Giorgia Meloni, the current Prime Minister of Italy, is an example. Her party has held power since 2022 and has only become more populist with time. So, the question is, can Meloni be a rallying point or not? If yes, how would the far-right change under the guidance of Meloni. Would they take a more faith-based approach, or would they hold fast to their own ideals? If not, would far right leaders push for a united front where multiple parties unite to form a coalition?
Take for example the statement put out by far-right politician Geert Wilders of the Netherlands. Wilders states “His brave and fierce resistance to illegal immigration and woke nonsense is an example for the rest of Europe”. Wilders put his support behind Orban and wants Europe to use Orban as an example. This is clearly showing that there is a web between far-right parties already.
All in all, Europe and Hungary should rejoice that democracy has prevailed, though all nations should keep in mind that the work is far from over and that it might never be finished. There will always be a person with fringe beliefs seeking power, and there will always be people who listen to them. The important step is to provide a united front against those who hold those fringe ideas and clearly say “we don’t like you or your ideas, so shove it.” Leaders from across Europe and the world should be ready to give support to the incoming party of Hungary and the expected new Prime Minister, Peter Magyar. It will not be an easy task for Magyar to undo 16 years of Orban, but with the right support, Hungary can thrive.