After serving 16 years as Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán was defeated by former ally Péter Magyar in the country’s general election April 12. Voter turnout was recorded at more than 77%, marking the highest percentage of voters casting a ballot in post-communist Hungary. Orbán’s loss was not a marginal one — the former prime minister’s far-right Fidesz party received just 37.8% of the vote, securing 55 seats compared to the 138 seats won by Magyar’s center-right party, Tisza. Although Magyar’s victory has been hailed as a win for democracy across the globe, it serves as a stark reminder: Democracy only works when the people will it to.
The power of a democracy lies with the public. Political philosopher John Locke outlined this sentiment in the late 17th century, arguing the power of a government is derived from the consent of the governed. In exchange for authority, the government is required to uphold the natural rights of mankind — life, liberty and property — and to rule based on the majority’s consensus. If this social contract between leaders and their subjects is broken, the people are entitled to rebel to preserve their interests and autonomy.
This is precisely what the Hungarian people did with their votes. Before Orbán retook power in 2010, Hungary had the 23rd-freest media in the world, falling to 68th by 2025. Under Orbán, public schools were deprived of the power to form their own budgets and choose their own curriculum and textbooks. Orbán and the Fidesz party also passed anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in 2021 under the guise of protecting children, banning the depiction of LGBTQ individuals in media designed for Hungarian youth.
Legislative decisions such as these prompted the Hungarian people to challenge Orbán’s authoritarianism in the best way they could: using their votes. Orbán’s loss sends a clear message to leaders abusing the social contract they share with their people — change the way you govern, or lose your power. As Americans, we must follow Hungary’s example and turn out to the polls this coming November in order to check our own “Orbán’s” control over our country.
