The elections in Hungary were followed with great interest in Italy, and their outcome is a leading topic for Italian publications today. This is no coincidence. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, whose Fidesz party lost yesterday's elections, are representatives of the European conservative right, recall ANSA, “RAI News“, “Sky TG24“ and “TGCom 24“.
Meloni and Orban defend similar ideas in the field of controlling illegal migration to the EU, achieving demographic growth and protecting traditional Christian values. The two are also close to the Donald Trump administration. But Meloni and Orban also have differences on a number of issues. One of them is support for Ukraine and the attitude towards Russia. While Orban has maintained ties with Moscow, including Hungary's energy dependence on Russia, despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and criticizes Kiev on every occasion, Meloni unconditionally supports Kiev, broke off contacts with Vladimir Putin's Russia and reduced Italy's energy dependence on Russia to almost zero. The contradictions between Meloni and Orban have prevented them from creating a common right-wing conservative family in the European Parliament after the 2024 European elections. Meloni also managed to get a representative of his party into the composition of Ursula von der Leyen's second European Commission, while Orban is in complete opposition to the EU's governing body.
In Italy, Orban also enjoyed the strong support of the leader of the far-right party “Lega“ Matteo Salvini, who is Meloni's deputy prime minister. Salvini and Orban have been involved in various manifestations of the hard-right conservative movement in Europe in recent years.
The center-right Italian party “Forza Italia“ has distanced itself from Orban“s right since his Fidesz party was ousted by the center-right European People“s Party.
The Italian opposition parties, including Elie Schlein’s center-left Democratic Party, the anti-establishment left-wing “5-Star Movement“ of former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, and the left-wing environmentalist “Green Left” were opponents of Orbán on a number of issues, including restricting the rights of the LGBT community, his opposition to European climate policy, silencing the voice of independent media, waging war on NGOs, his closeness to Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, etc.
Centrist Matteo Renzi, former Prime Minister of Italy and former representative of the Italian left, has recently criticized Meloni's closeness to Orbán, in the context of his criticism of the rapprochement of the rulers in Rome with right-wing governments around the world.
In this Italian context, it was the electoral defeat of Orbán's party that sparked lively political commentary.
Matteo Renzi was the first to react. “After 16 years, Orbán has been knocked out. After Canada and Australia, here is the “Trump effect“ in Hungary too,” said the former Prime Minister. He added that one should not underestimate the "magic effect" that Meloni, figuratively speaking, has had. "Our Prime Minister supported the anti-European forces in Poland, Spain and Hungary and they lost three times. Europe won, MAGA lost. What an incredible Sunday!", Renzi said last night. He meant that Meloni also supported the Polish conservative party "PiS" and the Spanish far-right "Vox". The former lost the elections in Poland, and the latter did not perform well in the European elections in Spain.
Then came the reaction of the center-left leader Schlein. "The time of the sovereignists and the sovereignist right is over," she said during a television show she participated in last night, when the results of the elections in Hungary were announced. “Freedom, democracy and love for Europe have won. Orban lost and with him Trump lost, and Meloni and Salvini also lost with their inappropriate videos in support of Orban and his autocracy. This is wonderful news coming from Hungary“, added Schlein, reminding that Meloni and Salvini also participated in a campaign video in support of Orban. “This is a wind of hope and change”, Schlein added last night on the occasion of the defeat of the current Hungarian Prime Minister.
Third was the reaction of Italian MEP Ilaria Salis. "It was not a victory for the left, but at least it is a heavy loss for the global far right and - we hope - the end of the regime," she said. "Hungary and Europe will be better places without Orbán," Salis added, and then ironically added: "I'm sorry for Meloni and Salvini. I hope we never see each other again." This reaction by Salis, who is from the "Green Left Alliance," is not surprising. In 2023, Salis was arrested in Budapest on suspicion of attacking far-right activists. Hungarian authorities defined her as a radical leftist. Salis claims to be an ordinary leftist who has done nothing wrong. She spent months in Hungarian custody. The international community only became aware of her case in 2024, when she was brought to the courtroom in Budapest with her hands and feet shackled. Eventually, after the intervention of the Italian authorities, Salis was released on bail from arrest. And then the left-wing party “Green Left Union“ nominated her as an MEP. She was elected, which provided her with immunity from further prosecution in Hungary. This greatly irritated Orbán, and it is believed that it was the “Salis case“ that was among the main reasons why Orbán and Meloni failed to unite as one family in the tenth European Parliament. Today, Salis is, by the way, a fierce opponent of Meloni.
It was only after these three reactions that Meloni's comment on Orbán's electoral defeat came. "Congratulations on the convincing election victory of Peter Magyar, to whom the Italian government wishes a successful work," she wrote on her social media channels and promised constructive cooperation to the future Hungarian leader. "I thank my friend Viktor Orbán for the intensive cooperation during these years and I know that even in opposition he will continue to serve his nation," she added.
This was followed by reactions from the leader of "Forza Italia" and Meloni's deputy prime minister - Antonio Tajani, and from the former two-time prime minister of Italy Giuseppe Conte, leader of the "5 Star Movement."
"Congratulations to Peter Magyar, the winner of the elections in Hungary. At a time of great uncertainty, once again the European People's Party has been chosen as a force that inspires calm and is a guarantor of stability in Europe," Tajani said. In this way, he reminded that the TISA party of Peter Magyar, which won the elections in Hungary last night, is part of the European People's Party.
“This is a politically significant moment, especially because of the consequences it will have in Europe and at international level. Those who led the institutions on an authoritarian and illiberal turn, those who in Europe obstructed measures that provided solutions and answers for our country as well, have lost“, said Conte. “However, instead of defending our values and interests, Prime Minister Meloni and Deputy Prime Minister Salvini have appeared in election videos in support of Orbán in these months, along with Benjamin Netanyahu, humiliating Italy and the Italian constitution“, added Conte. “The fact is that every stage of democratic life in which there is a high voter turnout becomes a nightmare for the false patriots in our country“, added Conte. "Let us hope that in Hungary the illiberal trend and the policies based on the fear of citizens will be finally overcome," he concluded. Conte was referring to the fact that Hungary has repeatedly blocked the adoption of measures in favor of European members at the European level. Conte also made an unambiguous parallel between the elections in Hungary and the referendum on judicial reform planned by Meloni in Italy. Both votes had an unusually high voter turnout and both votes ended in defeat for the ruling parties in Hungary and Italy.
Salvini is the only Italian leader who has not spoken out at this stage. His Facebook account still prominently features a call for a rally of European patriots in Milan on April 18, which will take place under the banner "Without fear. Let us be masters in our own home in Europe". The European patriots are the European parliamentary family of "Patriots for Europe", which includes Salvini's and Orban's parties. A few days ago, Salvini, among other things, stated that the elections in Hungary were "of decisive importance both for the country and for Europeans who believe in peace and independence", recalls the Hungarian news agency MTI. At that time, Salvini described the Hungarian elections as a battle between "two different visions of Europe". One vision is for a highly bureaucratic European community, and the other vision promotes greater autonomy, freedom and independence, Salvini said at the time. He expressed confidence that Orban would be re-elected, calling him "a great political leader who is needed by both Europe and Hungary". Salvini also described Orban as courageous, adding that "courage is a rare quality among those in power in Europe today", MTI recalls.
In addition to the leading Italian leaders, comments in the Italian media are also abundant. "The era of Orban is over, and Magyar won a supermajority", writes the most widely read newspaper in Italy, "Corriere della Sera". "Orban collapsed, Magyar achieved a landslide victory", writes the left-wing newspaper, "Repubblica" and quotes former US President, Democrat Barack Obama, who says that democracy has triumphed in Hungary. “The collapse of Orban“ and “The collapse of the regime“, writes the center-left edition “Stampa“. “Hungary chose Europe and the EU has 27 member states again, and Putin and Trump have lost their ally“, comments the Italian agency ANSA. “Magyar won two-thirds of the seats in the Hungarian parliament“ and “Hungary is taking the European path“, comments the news media “RAI News“. “Painful result for Orban“, summarizes the news media “Sky TG24“. “A crushing victory for Magyar“, writes the news outlet “TG Com 24“. “The Orbán era is over. Hungary is now Magyar's. The left in Italy is jubilant, but Magyar is on the right“, recalls the conservative right-wing publication “Secolo D’Italia“.
All Italian media outlets also publish analytical portraits of Peter Magyar. Magyar's path from Orbán's loyalist to his opponent was swift, as is stated in these articles, but also in a biographical note on Magyar on CNN. Only two years ago, Magyar was a member of the ruling Fidesz party and was married to Judit Varga, who was once one of the rising stars of Orbán's party, the American media outlet commented. The couple lived for about a decade in Brussels, where Magyar was a diplomat and Varga worked as a Fidesz MEP. In 2018, the family returned to Budapest with their three sons. The following year, Varga was appointed Minister of Justice by Orbán - a post she left in 2023 to lead Fidesz's campaign for the 2024 European Parliament elections. This plan was thwarted by a scandal that rocked Fidesz in early 2024. The then Hungarian President Katalin Novák pardoned a former official convicted of covering up abuse of underage boys in a children's home. The scandal led to Novák resigning as president, and Judit Varga, the former Minister of Justice involved in the pardon, stepping down from her party role, believed to have been pressured by Orbán. It was then that Magyar entered the political scene as an opponent of the prime minister, writes CNN. In February 2024, he gave an explosive video interview to the Hungarian media outlet “Partizan“, accusing Orban and his allies of “hiding behind women's skirts“ in the pardon scandal. He also used the interview to share information he had obtained through his proximity to the government. “A few families own half the country,” Magyar said in the interview, which was viewed almost 3 million times in Hungary. Later that year, Magyar joined the TISA party and quickly rose through the ranks to become its leader. TISA unexpectedly won almost 30 percent of the Hungarian vote in the European Parliament elections in June 2024, and Magyar also became an MEP, CNN recalls.
Is the defeat of her ally Orban in the elections in Hungary a defeat for Meloni? According to the left and centrists in Italy, the answer is “Yes”. But right-wing analysts recall that in fact a center-right party won in Hungary and that now, paradoxically, the left-wing forces in Italy are applauding the victory of a right-wing party and completely losing sight of the fact that the Hungarian traditional left failed to enter the Hungarian parliament at all, points out “Secolo D’Italia“.
Rejoicing over Magyar's victory, the center-left parties in Italy most often recall today that Orban has blocked common European measures and has hindered common EU actions. In the last three months, Orban has blocked the granting of a 90 billion euro loan from Brussels to Ukraine for the next two years, recall "Stampa", "Repubblica" and ANSA. In principle, Hungary had agreed to such a loan in December. However, damage to the "Družba" oil pipeline, through which Hungary receives Russian oil via Ukraine, followed. Hungary asked Ukraine to repair the damaged section. Ukraine said that the section was damaged by Russian strikes. A dispute ensued. Hungary said that it would block the loan to Ukraine until the oil pipeline was repaired. The EU also intervened in the dispute, offering assistance in this direction. Meloni also offered support and on several occasions expressed regret that the EU was not showing unity on the issue of Ukraine, thus indirectly criticizing Orban's decision to block the granting of a loan to which he had agreed in principle at the end of last year. In recent years, the center-left in Italy has criticized the EU for not directing tens of billions of euros to such items as healthcare, but instead allocating tens of billions of euros for other purposes. However, Orban has also made such criticisms. Part of the Italian left also believes that Italy should stop military supplies to Ukraine and is skeptical about granting large financial packages to this country. Orban also had a similar opinion in Hungary. Another part of the Italian left supports granting the 90 billion euros to Ukraine because it would be based on issuing common European debt, which would show the EU's ability to be more united when necessary. On the right in Italy, the “Lega” is against granting the loan of Salvini, and support for the measure is expressed by Meloni and Tajani. The case of the European loan for Ukraine, which Orban opposed, is just one example that shows that there can be no unambiguous answer to the question of whether Orban's loss in the Hungarian elections could be interpreted as a loss for Meloni's camp.
Another question that Italian media are asking themselves today is to what extent Meloni would now find common ground with Magyar. And a number of right-wing publications recall that the path of the two has something in common. They were part of political forces defined as center-right, which were in turn part of the European People's Party. And at some point, disappointed with their political forces, they broke away from them in favor of a new political project. In Meloni's case, she broke away from Silvio Berlusconi's center-right more than 13 years ago, at a time when their ratings dropped due to legal problems and scandals surrounding Berlusconi. In the case of Magyar, he broke away from Fidesz in 2024 after the scandal surrounding the pardon of a person involved in a child abuse case. The difference in the political path of Meloni and Magyar is that Meloni created his own political project, the “Italian Brothers“, while Magyar joined the TISA party, which existed since 2020, defined at that time not only as a conservative or pro-European right, but also as a populist formation. The commonality in this political path between Meloni and Magyar is that he brought them both to power, she more than three years ago, and he now.