The shock in Europe is big: in the most important Western European members of the EU, extreme right or right-wing parties achieved good results or even won in the European elections. Among these countries are Germany, France, Italy and Austria. But, in the east of the European Union, the situation is different - above all, different from the established image of that part of Europe. In the preconceptions of many, that region is the main stronghold of Viktor Orban and Jaroslav Kaczynski, a region of nationalists and populists.
From the Baltics to Bulgaria, in these European elections, nationalist, right-wing and Eurosceptic parties almost everywhere fell short of their expectations or lost votes. Only in Slovenia and the Czech Republic did parties associated with Orban and his right-wing nationalist Fidesz win.
Otherwise, the picture is surprising everywhere. Thus, in Hungary, for the first time in many years, Orbán's party lost a significant number of votes in some elections, and 30 percent was won by a new figure on the political scene and the prime minister's challenger. In Poland, the pro-European and liberal-conservative coalition of Prime Minister Donald Tusk unexpectedly won. In Slovakia, the progressive party won a clear victory, leaving behind the ruling SMER party of the right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fitz. In Romania and Bulgaria, right-wing nationalist and pro-Russian parties received fewer votes than expected or failed to improve on their previous election results.
A change in power in Hungary in 2026?
The most impressive are the results of the European elections and the simultaneously held local elections in Hungary. For the first time since 2009, in the European elections, Orban's Fidesz and its smaller coalition partner, the Christian Democratic KDNP, did not win an absolute majority, falling to 45 percent. Fidesz is thus still stronger than all other parties, but analysts interpret that result as a slap in the face to the prime minister, who is used to victories.
Orban's critic Peter Magjar, who appeared on the political scene with his Tisa party only a few weeks ago, received 30 percent of the vote - this is the best result achieved by an opposition party since Orban's coming to power in 2010. The Hungarian is a former member of Fidesz, in recent years he performed well-paid duties in Orban's state apparatus and appeared in public for the first time in February this year. In many segments, he represents the positions of the right-conservative Fidesz, for example regarding migrant policy. But he promises to deal with the corruption and nepotism of the Defense system and to solve problems in health and education. In addition, unlike Orban, he is explicitly pro-European.
Orban commented on his party's worse result with restraint and defiance. "We have defeated the old and the new opposition and it doesn't matter what the current opposition is called, we will always defeat it," he said on election night on Sunday (June 9). In contrast, his challenger Peter Magjar promised a change in power in the next parliamentary elections in 2026.
Poland: only second place for PiS
In Poland, the liberal conservative Civic Coalition (KO) of Prime Minister Donald Tusk won with 37 percent, although many expected his defeat. Jaroslav Kaczynski's right-wing nationalist Pravo i Pravda (PiS) party, which was in power from 2015 to 2023, had to settle for 36 percent and second place, even though pre-election polls predicted a convincing victory.
"We have shown today that we are a glimmer of hope for Europe," Tusk said Sunday evening in Warsaw and emphasized that his country is "a leader in the EU." PiS party leader Kacinjski called the election result "a big challenge" and called on his party, alluding to the colors of the Polish flag, to create a "white-red front".
It is inconvenient for Tusk that his smaller coalition partners, the Christian Democratic Third Way and the Left, received only 7 and 6 percent of the vote, respectively. Both of them were overtaken by the Confederacy, an anti-European and nationalist force from the right edge of the political spectrum, which won 13 percent of the vote and thereby achieved its best result so far.
A surprise in Slovakia
One of the biggest surprises of these European elections was the convincing victory of the social-liberal left opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS) with 28 percent. The favorite was the nominally social-democratic, but in fact right-wing nationalist SMER party of Prime Minister Robert Fitz, who was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt in mid-May. Apparently, the party was hurt by his negative rhetoric after the assassination. Namely, he recently blamed the opposition for being the author of the attack on him and thus spreading confusing far-right conspiracy theories.
In the Czech Republic, however, the right-liberal party Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO) of former prime minister and billionaire Andrej Babiš won with 26 percent. She is part of the right-wing national camp in the east of the EU, but above all, she is critical of migration and is not anti-European. In second place is the pro-European, conservative-liberal ruling alliance of Prime Minister Petar Fijala with 22 percent of the vote. Compared to the last parliamentary and European elections, the far-right party SPD lost almost half of the votes and received the support of only five percent of the voters.
There will be no "conquest of Brussels"
In Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria, ruling parties and coalitions won, whose orientation is partly difficult to determine. However, all in all, they represent pro-European and at the same time conservative-national positions. Right-wing forces in none of those countries managed to achieve significant results.
Thus, the predicted shift to the right in the east of the EU did not occur. Viktor Orbán, the self-proclaimed leader of the "sovereignists" in that region, did not achieve his goal that he proclaimed for the European elections: "Conquer and change Brussels." And that's not only because of his own worse election results, but also because he lacks strong allies in Central and Southeastern Europe.
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