“Today, Europe is undoubtedly Hungarian: the people have spoken and have reclaimed their European path.” This was stated by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during a press conference following the College of Commissioners’ meeting in Brussels. The President commented in this way on Péter Magyar’s election victory and Viktor Orbán’s defeat after 16 years in power.
According to von der Leyen, this is “a victory for fundamental freedoms” that strengthens the European Union. “There is much work to be done, but Hungary is returning to the European path”, she emphasised, announcing the launch “as soon as possible” of cooperation with the new government, including on the reforms needed to unblock frozen EU funds.
The President also called for a political lesson to be drawn from the vote: “We must move towards qualified majority voting in foreign policy to avoid systematic deadlocks.” She concluded with a message to the Hungarian people: “We are a family: your history is our history, your future is our future. We will walk with you every step of the way”.
©️ European Union, 2026