Zelensky congratulates Magyar on election victory, says Kyiv ready to 'develop cooperation' with Hungary
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Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar on a historic election victory on April 12, as Kyiv aims to reset relations with Budapest following Prime Minister Viktor Orban's 16-year rule over Hungary.
"I congratulate Peter Magyar and the TISZA party on their convincing victory. It is important when a constructive approach prevails," Zelensky wrote on social media.
"Ukraine has always sought good-neighborly relations with everyone in Europe, and we are ready to develop cooperation with Hungary," Zelensky said, adding that Kyiv is ready for "meetings and joint constructive work" with what will become the new Hungarian government.
While the final tally is still being determined, results show Magyar's Tisza party winning a landslide victory over Orban. With nearly all of the votes processed, Tisza is on track to win 138 seats in the country's 199-seat parliament — a 2/3 supermajority — providing Magyar's party with the necessary votes needed to potentially implement constitutional amendments.
In a brief concession speech Sunday night, Orban conceded victory to Magyar, noting that the results are "painful for us, but clear."
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed Zelensky's congratulatory remarks in comments on social media into the early morning of April 13.
"On our part, we stand ready to advance mutually beneficial cooperation, find solutions to old problems, and open a new chapter for the benefit of both nations," Sybiha said.
Ukraine's foreign minister also noted that Kyiv stood ready to "(work) together to ensure European standards for our respective national minorities" — a longstanding issue between Budapest and Kyiv.
Record turnout marked Hungary's parliamentary election, with nearly 80% participation nationwide — topping voter turnout levels of all previous parliamentary elections. Magyar hailed the unprecedented turnout as a "celebration of democracy."
Fidesz, widely described by critics as far-right and illiberal, has been in power since 2010. Over the past 16 years, Orban and his party have overseen what many observers describe as democratic backsliding in Hungary.
The Hungarian leader has also wielded his country's veto in the EU to block a 90 billion-euro ($105.5 billion) loan for Ukraine and the opening of negotiations on Kyiv's accession to the bloc.
Meanwhile, Tisza has criticized the government's tilt toward Russia and pledged to repair relations with European partners. The opposition has united around Magyar, who has promised to fight corruption and restore ties with the EU and NATO.
European leaders welcomed Magyar's win as a victory for Europe and for democracy.
"Hungary has chosen Europe," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X. "Europe has always chosen Hungary. Together, we are stronger."
French President Emmanuel Macron called the election "a victory of democratic participation, of the Hungarian people's attachment to the values of the European Union, and for Hungary in Europe."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also congratulated Magyar and the prospects of stronger European cooperation, saying: "I look forward to the cooperation for a strong, secure, and above all united Europe."
Congratulations flooded in from across the European Union, with officials from the European Parliament, Sweden, the Baltic states, and countries throughout the bloc expressing optimism about a new chapter in Hungary-EU relations.
