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Brussels Playbook Podcast

What Orbán’s ouster means for MAGA, Le Pen and Brussels

Brussels Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.4204 Ratings

🗓️ 17 April 2026

⏱️ 37 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Election night in Hungary was an emotional and teary one ... but now, the work begins. The winners — Peter Magyar’s Tisza party — have the daunting task of reversing years of democratic backsliding that went on under Viktor Orbán’s watch. Meanwhile, Fidesz — and far-right parties across Europe — have some intense soul searching to do to figure out what went wrong in Orbán’s campaign. Our panel of guests includes POLITICO’s White House Correspondent Eli Stokols and our Senior France Correspondent Clea Caulcutt in Paris, along with Balazs Kos, a Hungarian consultant and expert on EU affairs. Together with host Sarah Wheaton, they dive deeper into what the outcome means for Brussels and the MAGA movement across the pond. We also speak with Frank Furedi of MCC Brussels, a think tank with links to Orbán’s government. He gives us a breakdown of why he believes the Fidesz campaign failed. Do you have a question or a comment? Send us a WhatsApp message here or dial +32 491 05 06 29.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:30.1

It's not often you see a strongman politician with tears in his eyes.

0:36.2

Yet as Victor Orban conceded his defeat in the Hungarian election this past Sunday,

0:41.6

he did so bleary-eyed to his somber supporters.

0:59.7

Meanwhile, in another part of town, a different crowd erupted in cheers and dancing,

1:04.6

shedding happy tears as they received the news of Peter Madjar's landslide victory.

1:19.3

It was an emotional night, but now the work begins, both for the winners and for the losers.

1:26.6

The winners, Majara's Tisa party, have the daunting task of reversing years of democratic backsliding that went on under Orban's watch.

1:30.3

That includes everything from his push to dismantle media freedom and judicial independence

1:34.5

to gerrymandering the country's electoral system.

1:39.1

Meanwhile, Fidesz and far-right parties across Europe have some intense soul-searching to do to figure out what went wrong in Orban's campaign.

1:49.2

So what Hungary will emerge from this changing of the guard?

1:53.5

And what will this new leader mean for relations between Budapest and Brussels?

1:58.3

And does this result signal which way the wind is blowing for other European populists?

2:03.0

And for American ones, for that matter? I'm Sarah Wheaton, host of EU Confidential. Today we're

2:11.7

dissecting this consequential vote from the perspective of those who are looking toward the future,

...

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