"While Hungary shows that competitive authoritarianism can be beaten, that it will be is not a given. If anything, the Hungarian election shows that authoritarians don’t “just lose.” Rather, Hungary presented the perfect storm to defeat an authoritarian ..." Great read by @gabrielagreilinger.com 👇

I can't wait for the chaos and frenzy when Vice President JD Vance and Erika Kirk show up for a TPUSA event 5 minutes from my place on Tuesday. 🥸

Hilarious video of Telex asking Fidesz supporters what they think of the results + Orbán's defeat. Can't decide which of these characters I enjoyed more. The one crying about the defeat? The other, saying Hungarians are constantly dissatisfied, nothing's ever good enough? Either way, entertaining!

I wrote another article for @talkingpointsmemo.com about the lessons one may or may not draw from Orbán's defeat 🇭🇺🗳️⬇️ talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/three-l...

I gave an interview to the Bosnian daily newspaper "Oslobođenje" on Orbán's defeat: www.oslobodjenje.ba/vijesti/svij...

Several excellent contributions to this @theguardian.com panel on the Hungarian election. I particularly like the one by Zsuzsa Szelény. “Removing Orbán from office is one thing. Dismantling Orbánism is quite another.”

My brain after a day of switching between watching live coverage of the Hungarian election on different Hungarian independent media outlets, posting/writing in English and texting/talking with my family in German about it.

Viktor Orbán has been in power for more than half of my life. Like most people of my generation and younger, I don't remember a Hungary before or without him. #Hungary

Whenever people ask me why I do what I do and what led me to my research topic, I point to Viktor Orbán. Orbán has largely been the reason I started studying political science, and later, the far right and democratic erosion. So maybe that's the one (and only) thing I can thank him for. Or not. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Viktor Orbán has been in power for more than half of my life. Like most people of my generation and younger, I don't remember a Hungary before or without him. #Hungary

🧔🏻‍♂️: "So what are you doing now that he's out? Are you retiring? 😂"

Just wondering where Foreign Minister Péter Szijjartó was during Orbán's concession speech. Did he already leave for Moscow?

My god, all these videos of Hungarians on the streets and in the metro cheering and chanting "two-thirds", "two-thirds". 🥹

94% of votes counted, with a clear 2/3 majority for Magyar's Tisza projected. And not to spoil the mood, but the new parliament will be composed solely of right- to far-right parties. Next to the right-wing Tisza and far-right Fidesz, extreme-right Mi Hazánk also seems to have won 7 seats. #Hungary

As I said an hour ago 🤷🏻‍♀️

Love seeing all these pictures of family members toasting Orbán's loss 🥂

I think hearing the Hungarian moderator announce that Orbán congratulated Magyar and that he concedes is a moment I won't forget in my lifetime. 😭

As I said an hour ago 🤷🏻‍♀️

Viktor Orbán has congratulated Péter Magyar! #Hungary

2/3 majority secured! #Hungary

37% of the votes counted, with 132 parliamentary seats projected for Tisza. It seems that a 2/3 majority (133 seats) is well within reach for Tisza. #Hungary

Life's tough as an Austrian-Hungarian, these people just move from one of my homelands to another.

I am begging you, if you haven't followed Hungarian political discourse in Hungarian over the last few weeks/months, perhaps hold back on your wild theories about what will happen in Hungary after the elections and whether Orbán will accept the results. My god.

As expected, these embargoed surveys show a Tisza lead; however, so far, it doesn't translate into a 2/3 majority according to their calculations (just short of the 133 seats required). Bu: Note that these are NOT exit polls and are NOT official results. A 2/3 majority for Tisza is very possible.

Kein Experte zu Ungarn und dem System Orbán, dafür aber zwei Propagandisten der Rechten, einer davon steht auf der Payroll des ungarischen Regimes. Muss man das verstehen?

When people tell me that an electoral loss for Orbán will be of tremendous significance to and consequential for the global far right and its voters.

And we surpassed the 2022 turnout – it's now at 74.23%! #Hungary 🗳️🇭🇺 Polls close at 7 pm, but anyone who gets in line until then will be able to cast a vote.

If you want to kill some time while waiting, read our piece ⬇️🗳️🇭🇺 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Historic turnout in 🇭🇺 – 66% as of 3pm. We will likely have surpassed 2022's turnout (70.2%) by 5pm. I don't dare to draw any conclusions or make predictions based on turnout data alone, but let's just say: Hungarians know how consequential this election is, and they are mobilising in huge numbers.

If Tisza wins today, it will go down in Hungarian history as the third "rendszerváltás" (regime change), after 1989 and 2010.

For the crucial Hungarian election, friends don’t let friends follow fake-experts. Follow these real experts instead: @gabrielagreilinger.com @danielhegedus.bsky.social @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social @szabolcspanyi.bsky.social @zecsaky.bsky.social @rdanielkelemen.bsky.social @eublogo.bsky.social

Whenever people ask me why I do what I do and what led me to my research topic, I point to Viktor Orbán. Orbán has largely been the reason I started studying political science, and later, the far right and democratic erosion. So maybe that's the one (and only) thing I can thank him for. Or not. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Today is a particularly good day to follow @gabrielagreilinger.com

If Tisza wins today, it will go down in Hungarian history as the third "rendszerváltás" (regime change), after 1989 and 2010.

Record-breaking turnout of 54.1% by 1 pm – well above turnout at the previous four elections at that time – with 6 hours to go. 🗳️🇭🇺 High turnout is generally a good sign, but it also matters where people turn out to vote. Overall, it highlights the contested nature of this race. #Hungary

People (me) on the East Coast waking up to check on the Hungarian election

In other non-news, ex-Justice Minister Judith Varga, who is also the ex-wife of opposition candidate Péter Magyar, more or less declared on Facebook that she will not vote for her ex-husband (to no one's surprise).

It really looks like the system is starting to crumble from the inside. #Hungary

In my article for @talkingpointsmemo.com, I tried to explain the prospects for de-Orbánisation after Sunday's election in Hungary to a U.S. audience, in fewer than 1000 words [by invitation] 🗳️🇭🇺⬇️

Hungarian elections are taking place tomorrow (as everyone knows by now, unless you live under a 🪨). 🗳️🇭🇺 I'm re-upping my threads from the last few weeks for anyone who wants to get a quick (or not so quick) primer: 1/

Very proud to see our piece in @theguardian.com on Hungary's hopeful, Péter Magyar, and his prospects for restoring liberal democracy in Hungary. 🇭🇺🗞️ While expectations among international observers are high, we need to be realistic. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

In my article for @talkingpointsmemo.com, I tried to explain the prospects for de-Orbánisation after Sunday's election in Hungary to a U.S. audience, in fewer than 1000 words [by invitation] 🗳️🇭🇺⬇️

This election is not a question of whether Hungarians want change, as polls suggest many do. It is whether a vote for change can still translate into political power, and whether the opposition can dismantle a system built to outlast it, writes @gabrielagreilinger.com.

My colleague Ábel Bede from the Hungarian Observer and I had a great conversation with @242news.bsky.social, covering a lot of ground, from the final days of the campaign to MCC and the connections between the Hungarian and American far right. 🎙️🇭🇺 Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.

Very proud to see our piece in @theguardian.com on Hungary's hopeful, Péter Magyar, and his prospects for restoring liberal democracy in Hungary. 🇭🇺🗞️ While expectations among international observers are high, we need to be realistic. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The chances are very good that Orbán will lose the election this weekend. But even IF Peter Magyar becomes PM, we shouldn’t expect too much from him. This op-Ed is mostly the work of my brilliant grad student @gabrielagreilinger.com who is the real Hungary specialist. 👏

Es geht in diesem Wahlsystem außerdem darum eine klare 2/3 Mehrheit im Parlament zu haben, andernfalls hat Tisza kaum Möglichkeiten Reformen durchzubringen und das System Orbán auseinanderzunehmen. Und selbst mit 2/3 wird es nicht einfach.

I've already agreed to write two more articles, record two more podcasts, give one more radio interview, and provide commentaries to a few outlets. If you want something from me related to the 🇭🇺 election, please lmk earlier rather than later, I also have a "side job" at a University. 🫠

I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to an election being over this much 🫩

Enjoy!