The Daily Populous Monday April 13rd, 2026 morning edition
Authored by bbc.com and submitted by Plaintalks

After 16 years, the Orbán experiment is over

What Viktor Orbán did for the last 16 years in power was an experiment - but even he didn’t know what to call it.

"Illiberal democracy" sounded too negative. His American friends liked to call it "national conservatism", which sounds better, but it was never strictly true, because unlike most conservatives, Orbán was a rebel, he constantly radicalised himself - so what could he conserve?

He portrayed himself as an "anti-globalist" but invited German car makers and Chinese and South Korean EV battery makers to Hungary.

He painted himself as the champion of national sovereignty, but refused to stand up for Ukrainian sovereignty against Russia.

He railed against immigration, but quietly encouraged immigration to build his new factories.

One year after winning a two-thirds majority in 2010, he wrote a new constitution, reshaping Hungary in his own image, to suit his own party.

He pushed through one law after another, to change the structure of the courts, the electoral system, and the economy.

But on Sunday, Hungarians decisively told him: "We don't want to be experimented on any longer."

ImperiumRome on April 12nd, 2026 at 19:45 UTC »

> Viktor Orbán has conceded in a speech to supporters, telling them: "The result of the election is clear and painful."

No election result denial ? This is actually surprising to me, or maybe Orbán can read the room and know when to throw in the towel.

Snagglespoof on April 12nd, 2026 at 19:39 UTC »

Thank God. End of an era.

Russia go home

vovap_vovap on April 12nd, 2026 at 19:34 UTC »

That is really good news