Important leader of the UDMR, after the defeat of Viktor Orban: “In the last 16 years, without a doubt, we felt the Hungarian government with us”

The President of the Covasna County Council, Tamas Sandor, sent a message on Monday after Viktor Orbán's defeat in the parliamentary elections in Hungary, stating that, for the past 16 years, Hungarians in Transylvania have felt the support of the government in Budapest.

Hungary's 16-year-old Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party suffered a crushing defeat on Sunday to the opposition Tisza, led by former Prime Minister ally Péter Magyar, who won a comfortable majority to topple the current system.

Partial official data shows that 87.08% of valid and counted postal votes in Hungary's Sunday election – cast by ethnic Hungarians outside the country, mostly from Romania – went to Fidesz.

In a Facebook post, Sandor pointed out that “91% of Transylvanian Hungarians supported Fidesz-KDNP by postal vote”, explaining this result by the fact that “the national political direction represented by the government in Budapest coincided with the values ​​of Hungarians in the Szeklerland”.

“For the past 16 years, we have undoubtedly felt the Hungarian government with us, and therefore also felt that the loneliness of Transylvania that lasted a hundred years is over. Thank you for that – we will not forget!” he wrote.

Tamas Sandor added that the election result opens “a new chapter” in Hungary

“This is how democracy works. The majority of Hungarian voters gave a chance to the Tisa Party and Peter Magyar. They were strongly empowered; we want, in this way, Hungarian-Hungarian relations to remain fair and based on mutual respect. God defend the Szeklerland! God defend Hungary!”, he concluded.

Other reactions from UDMR: “I was wrong”

Tanczos Barna, deputy prime minister and UDMR senator, said the election result heralds the entry “into a new era, which is practically the opposite of the previous one in almost all aspects.”

“I was wrong. I'm not the only one in this situation, but I didn't feel, I didn't see that huge force that led to the overwhelming victory of the TISZA party in Hungary,” said Tanczos Barna, who made an analysis on Monday morning after the election results in the neighboring country.

UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor had a short message on Sunday night after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat in the parliamentary elections.

“The elections in Hungary were held with a record turnout. A large number of Hungarians, both at home and abroad, exercised their right to vote. I congratulate the Tisza Party and Péter Magyar on the victory!” Kelemen Hunor wrote in a Facebook message.

The president of the UDMR, Kelemen Hunor, previously declared that he supports Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the parliamentary elections in Hungary.

Kelemen Hunor, targeted by Magyar's criticism: “It was not fair”

Magyar claimed that a large part of Hungarians in Romania voted with Fidesz because “they are being misled”, stating that “the same propaganda works in Romania”. He added that he would support Hungarians living in Romania “in any way possible”.

Magyar said that Kelemen Hunor “also had a role”, accusing the UDMR of “participating in a campaign of disinformation and misleading the Hungarians in Romania”.

“I think it wasn't right,” he said, adding that he intends to talk directly with the UDMR leader: “I'm going to talk to Kelemen Hunor and tell him that I don't hold a grudge.”

Afterwards, Kelemen Hunor declared that the elections in Hungary were conducted “correctly” and the decision of the electorate was a “clear” one, and stated that he congratulated Peter Magyar after his victory over Prime Minister Viktor Orban.