Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has conceded election victory after 16 years in power, with the opposition on course for a landslide win
Péter Magyar is set to be the country's new prime minister - with more than 80% of the votes counted, his party is set to win a massive majority in parliament
Magyar, a relative newcomer to the political main stage, has pulled off an astonishing victory, our central Europe correspondent writes
Record numbers turned out for an election which was seen as pivotal to the future of Hungary and Europe, and which delivers a blow to Orbán's close allies Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump
Magyar, a former Orbán ally who became his fiercest critic, has promised closer ties to the EU and an anti-corruption agenda
Orbán's era is over and it appears that Magyar could be on course for a two-thirds majority to start putting it into reverse, writes our Europe digital editor from Budapest
BBC reports from Hungary as Orbán concedes defeat
Image source, ReutersMagyar says his victory isn't one party triumphing over another, but Hungarians triumphing over those oppressing them.
He says Hungary wants to be a European country again, as the crowd breaks into chants of "Russians go home".
Image source, ReutersMagyar tells the crowd that never in the history of democratic Hungary has there been as many people voting.
He goes on: "Tisza did not just win the election - all signs post to a strong two-thirds majority at the National Assembly. This means a peaceful, efficient transfer of power."
Magyar says the Orbán regime used all it had to try to stop Tisza, claiming the intelligence service was used against his party, and that with his victory "truth triumphed over lies".
He goes on to say "love won today, because love always wins", and thanks Hungarians for "not being afraid".
Zsofia Paulikovics
BBC World Service
Image source, Reuters"We did it," Magyar says to cheers from the crowd in Budapest, adding: "Tisza and Hungary won these elections."
He goes on: "Together, we liberated Hungary and got rid of the Orbán regime."
Magyar says it could not have been done without the people.
Zsofia Paulikovics
BBC World Service
Image source, ReutersPéter Magyar is about to give his victory speech in front of a huge crowd which has gathered in the capital.
He is walking through the jubilant mass of people carrying a Hungarian flag, as supporters hold torches in the air.
We'll bring you his words shortly.
Keir Starmer has congratulated Peter Magyar, the man set to be Hungary's new prime minister, calling his election victory an "historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy".
Rita Palfi
BBC World Service, in Budapest
A chorus of European leaders have welcomed Péter Magyar's victory that brings an end to Viktor Orbán's 16-year era - and it's not surprising, as Orbán angered many of them by reneging on an agreement to lend tens of billions of euros in aid to Ukraine.
His veto on the aid was widely seen as an election ploy, and under Magyar it's unlikely to last long.
"Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media. "Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary".
“Hungary has spoken,” said Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, who looked forward to working with Péter Magyar, "toward a strong, secure, and above all united Europe".
Pedro Sánchez of Spain said "today Europe wins and European values win, while French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed what he called Magyar's "victory of democratic participation, the Hungarian people’s commitment to the values of the European Union, and Hungary’s commitment to Europe".
Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor, in Budapest
Péter Magyar has completed his first task - that's winning the election.
But if he is going to reverse the system of cronyism and corruption that has dogged Hungarian society during 16 years of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz government, then he needs to win two thirds of the seats in the Hungarian parliament.
He is currently on course to do that. With 81.49% of the vote counted, his Tisza party is on course for 137 seats - five more than the 133 he needs for a constitutional majority.
Magyar is at heart a conservative, but he has brought under his wing a broad spectrum of Hungarians, so the government he will form will include health and education specialists and economists whose main task is to fix the chronic problems that have emerged in the schools and hospitals and the broader economy.
Without those 133 seats in parliament, they cannot change the constitution, and will be limited in what they can achieve.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Reuters
Nick Thorpe
Central Europe correspondent, in Budapest
Orbán has led Hungary almost unchallenged for 16 years.
A short while ago, he rang his rival Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza Party, to concede.
He congratulated him on his victory and then, surrounded by gloomy-faced leading members of his party Fidesz, he announced his party’s defeat to his supporters.
On the other side of the River Danube in Tisza headquarters, party workers hugged each other, while the crowds on the shore of the river began to celebrate.
The margin of victory looks huge - big enough to secure a two-thirds majority in the new parliament for Tisza.
This is an astonishing victory for a centre-right party only founded two years ago and a serious blow to national populists - not just here in Hungary, but across Europe.
Rita Palfi
BBC World Service, in Budapest
More than 90,000 Hungarians voted abroad and around 224,000 voted somewhere other than their official address.
These votes will be counted in the coming days.
They would only be crucial when the race is close - but, according to the preliminary results, this won’t be the case this time.
Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor in Budapest
Hungary has felt like two different worlds for months.
In one world there was a prime minister who convinced his supporters and those watching pro-government TV channels that they were on their way to victory and another four years in power.
In the other world was Péter Magyar, who was crisscrossing Hungary's towns and cities, attracting big crowds wherever he went.
Respected pollsters were making clear that Orbán's support was draining away.
It has been draining away ever since Magyar left the ruling party and created a movement that attracted a cross-section of support from opposition parties and disillusioned Orbán voters alike.
Suddenly those two worlds have collided, and only one was real.
The reality is that Orbán's era is over and it appears that Magyar could be on course for a two-thirds majority to start putting it into reverse.
Image source, ReutersOrbán has told supporters that their task is clear: "We don't have the weight of governing the country so we have to rebuild our communities."
He thanked the two and a half million voters who have voted for his Fidesz party so far and promised they would never be let down.
He goes on: "We never give up, this is one thing people know about us, we never give up. The days ahead of us are for us to heal our wounds."
Votes are still being counted but with around 60% done so far, opposition leader Péter Magyar is on course to win a two-thirds majority in parliament, a landslide.
Image source, ReutersViktor Orbán has conceded in a speech to supporters, telling them: "The result of the election is clear and painful."
We will have more on this soon.
Opposition leader Péter Magyar says he's had a call from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in which he conceded.
His man rival Péter Magyar wrote on Facebook: "Viktor Orbán just called me on the phone and congratulated us on our victory."
It would mean an end to 16 years of Orbán rule.
Rajini Vaidyanathan
BBC presenter, in Budapest
Esther with her mum Gabi
Supporters of opposition candidate Péter Magyar are already excited, even though we still don’t know for sure whether he’ll be the country’s next prime minister.
"I’m getting goosebumps,” Esther tells me, as she walks along the banks of the river with her mum Gabi.
She lives in the Netherlands now but made a special visit home to cast a vote for the Tisza party.
She told me she felt incumbent Viktor Orban, who’s close to presidents Putin and Trump, was damaging Hungary’s perception in the world and that was a reason for change.
Ábel Katona is just 18, this is his first election. He tells me most of his friends turned out to vote.
He says Hungary’s relationship with Russia was a pivotal issue for him. “I want us to be friends with the EU,” he tells me.
Nick Thorpe
Central Europe correspondent, in Budapest
Just 21.5% of the vote has been counted so far, but as it stands, the far-right Our Homeland party is hovering close to the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament.
It looks set to be the only minor party in contention for a seat, though it massively trails the two main parties.
The race between Fidesz and Tisza looks close, with only 3 or 4% dividing them - Fidesz leading in some places, Tisza in others.
The count has been fastest in mostly western Hungarian districts.
Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor in Budapest
Polls closed more than an hour and a half ago in most places and results have started to trickle in.
It's far too early to make any assessment but we're now at 21.54% of the vote and so far Tisza is ahead in 92 constituencies, while Fidesz is in the lead in 13 constituencies.
Earlier, we explained that Hungarians voting in Hungary have two votes - and that second count isn't as far advanced as the seats.
In other words, it's still very early to draw any conclusions.
Another point to make is that the big cities take longer to report their results, while the smaller towns and villages where Fidesz is strongest tend to be quicker.
Natalia Zotova
BBC News Russian
Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockOrbán and Putin following talks in Moscow in July 2024
Moscow’s interest in the Hungarian elections has been evident, with Viktor Orbán the only EU leader who systematically blocks sanctions and military aid to Ukraine, as well as supports gas deals with Russia.
Before the elections, Bloomberg published a transcript of a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Orbán from October 2025.
In it, Orbán reportedly compared himself to a mouse that saves a lion, after which the lion does not kill it.
Orbán also reportedly assured Putin that on any issue where he could be useful “I am at your service”.
That publication did not trouble the Kremlin in the slightest, which said it “shows Orbán from a very pragmatic and effective point of view”, someone who “defends the interests of his country”.
Katya Adler
BBC Europe editor, in Budapest
One of the main election posters put up by Fidesz, Viktor Orbán’s party, throughout the campaign sported two black and white mugshots featuring Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Hungary’s leading opposition figure Péter Magyar.
“Let’s stop them!” reads the slogan. I’ve covered many elections here, and Orbán loves to select an enemy he promises to protect voters from.
In the past, it’s been migrants, the EU, the political left. This year it was the war in neighbouring Ukraine.
Orbán tells Hungarians the opposition would open the floodgates to the war over the border, putting lives at home at risk.
But will it have been eneough to persuade voters to flock to him?
People we’ve spoken to are generally concerned about the poor state of Hungary's economy - the rising inflation and dwindling standards of living suffered in recent years.
Rita Palfi
BBC World Service, in Budapest
One of the key polls we've reported on this evening, by respected pollster Median, asked Hungarians who they backed four years ago in the days leading up to today's vote and the answers are intriguing.
Opposition party Tisza won the support of 62% of Hungarians who either did not vote or were not old enough to in 2022, while Fidesz secured the backing of just 16% of these two groups, Median suggests.
The pollster also says Tisza managed to lure 9% of Fidesz voters as well as 91% of pro-opposition voters from 2022.
Meanwhile, Median's poll says Fidesz maintained the support of 79% of its 2022 electorate.
But remember, this is just one opinion poll and there is no reliable exit poll. We won't know where this election is heading until we start to get results.