Hungarians showed the world what democracy looks like when citizens refuse to surrender it

On the Hungarian Parliamentary Elections of April 12, 2026

Today is a great day for Hungary, for Europe, and for democrats everywhere.

We congratulate the Hungarian people on a historic exercise in self-governance. With the highest turnout in the country’s democratic history, Hungarians showed the world what democracy looks like when citizens refuse to surrender it — withstanding extraordinary pressure from both Washington and Moscow to keep a failed autocrat in power, and choosing their own future instead.

We also acknowledge Prime Minister Orbán’s grace in accepting defeat and extending congratulations to his successor, Péter Magyar. In a world where too many leaders meet electoral loss with denial or violence, his concession is a reminder that democracy depends not only on how we win, but on how we lose. His example matters beyond Hungary’s borders.

For both of us, this is deeply personal. Hungary is our homeland. We have spent years working to sustain democratic hope in a country where many had given up on it — first through Action for Democracy's support for civic mobilization, independent media, and democratic solidarity in 2022, and through decades of advocacy for the values that Hungarians reclaimed yesterday. We will continue to help Hungarian civil society keep power in check, strengthen institutions, freedoms, and European commitments that define the Hungary we believe in.

Above all, today carries a message that extends far beyond Budapest: authoritarianism can still be defeated at the ballot box. After Poland in 2023 and Brazil in 2022, Hungary in 2026 is the latest and most powerful proof that democratic backsliding is not irreversible. For citizens in every country struggling under the weight of autocratic consolidation — from Tbilisi to Caracas — this result is a beacon of hope. The arc of history does not bend on its own. It bends when people show up and bend it.

David Koranyi

President of the Board, Action for Democracy

Kati Marton

Chair of the Advisory Council, Action for Democracy

Media contact: info@actionfordemocracy.org

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, দেবর্ষি রায়