While an election in a nation of fewer than ten million people might not always be the stuff of global headlines, Hungary’s was special. For 16 continuous years it had been governed by Victor Orban who had often clashed with the European Union and took a more friendly approach to Russia than many other NATO states. Now, following election, the Orban era appears to be coming to an end. And so today I want to look at the Hungarian election and what the change in Budapest might mean for the War in Ukraine, Russia, and Europe more broadly. A key point to note however is that the Hungarian election was just one election – pitting a long term incumbent against a challenge who was formerly a member of his own party. In other European nations, results are likely to look very different. But in the context of the war in Ukraine in 2026, this one mattered.

Source: Hungary, Ukraine & Orban’s End – How Russia Lost Its Best Friend in the EU