Orbán ousted as voters say no to bogeymen and yes to change

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The remarkable defeat of Viktor Orbán after 16 years in office gives Hungarians hope that democracy will be restored where it has been systematically eroded. It is a major victory for the continent too. Péter Magyar, the man who will succeed Orbán as prime minister, told supporters that his victory this weekend was a sign of Hungarians saying “yes to Europe”. Certainly it is a setback for both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Hungary has hampered EU efforts to support Ukraine, while representing a model of “illiberal democracy” seemingly admired by the White House. But psephologists might find that voters weren’t that motivated by geopolitics. As so often in election shellackings, it was probably the economy.