Hungarian elections: Orbán’s ally congratulated Magyar and brought up “Druzhba”

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico congratulated Hungary’s new leader, Péter Magyar, on his victory in the parliamentary elections and offered him “intensive cooperation.”

The statement sounded like a notable political reversal: just a few days before the vote, Fico had publicly supported Viktor Orbán, calling him one of the most consistent defenders of national sovereignty.

Magyar’s Tisza party achieved a convincing victory, winning 138 of 199 seats in parliament with the support of 53.6% of voters, according to preliminary data from Hungary’s National Election Office. The Fidesz–KDNP coalition, which had been in power for 16 years, won only 55 seats. Voter turnout reached a record 77.8%, providing further confirmation of public demand for political change.

Fico’s reaction showed how quickly regional leaders are prepared to adapt to a new balance of power. Despite his earlier public compliments toward Orbán and his high assessment of Slovak-Hungarian relations during Orbán’s time in office, Bratislava is already signaling its readiness to build working ties with the new government in Budapest.

Judging by Fico’s statements, energy will remain a key issue in these relations. Slovakia and Hungary remain heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas and are therefore interested in restoring stable supply routes, including flows through the Druzhba oil pipeline, which was halted in January after being damaged. Shortly before the election, Fico and Orbán also jointly urged the EU to reconsider restrictions on Russian energy.

Against this background, Magyar’s victory is becoming not only a domestic political turning point for Hungary, but also a test of his foreign policy course. Tisza presents itself as a pro-European reformist force, promising to restore trust in Hungary within the EU, secure the unfreezing of European funds, and strengthen the fight against corruption. Party representatives have already made it clear that Budapest should move away from confrontation with European institutions and adopt a more constructive line.

That is why the main question after the election is how far the new Hungarian leadership will be willing to support the previous regional alliances built on the political solidarity of Orbán and Fico. For Magyar, this will be the first serious test: whether to preserve pragmatic dialogue with Bratislava or distance himself from a course that has increasingly come into conflict with the European Union’s broader line.