Marcel Fratzscher, President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), believes that the change in power in Hungary also represents a defeat for right-wing populists across Europe. Speaking to the “Handelsblatt” on Tuesday, Fratzscher stated that Orbán’s defeat is a “political judgment on an entire model”. He argued that the long-standing premiership system of Viktor Orbán, which was based on nationalism, corruption, and economic stagnation, has ultimately failed. According to Fratzscher, “Hungary shows that authoritarian populists are vulnerable when their record becomes visible”.
Following the significant electoral victory of the pro-European Tisza Party, led by opposition figure Peter Magyar, Fratzscher highlighted the implications for Germany. He viewed Orbán’s downfall as a warning sign for the AfD and other far-right parties throughout Europe. “Orban was their role model-his fall exposes the emptiness of their promises”.
Furthermore, Fratzscher drew a direct parallel to US politics. He characterized the election outcome as a “sensitive setback” for exporting the so-called MAGA ideology (“Make America Great Again”) to Europe. US President Donald Trump and his vice-president JD Vance had vocally supported Orbán during the campaign. In the view of the DIW head, Trump, Orbán, and their allies operate under the same logic: “Creating enemies instead of solutions, and division instead of prosperity”.
