Magyar, a moderate conservative figure who has seized on Hungarians’ dissatisfaction with rising living costs, corruption and crumbling public services, described the vote as a “referendum” on Hungary’s place in the world.

Casting his vote on Sunday, Magyar told reporters that the election was “a choice between East or West, propaganda or honest public discourse, corruption or clean public life.”

Orbán has held power in Hungary since 2010, winning four back-to-back victories as his government ratcheted up control of public institutions, the judiciary and the media. European Union lawmakers and many Western watchdogs had no longer considered the country a full democracy.

For Republicans in the U.S. and Europe’s hard right, Orbán is seen as a trailblazer. He has maintained close ties with Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin and has credited himself with being involved in the “program writing” for Trump’s policies and strategy. Since 2022, the right-wing CPAC gathering has held a satellite event in Hungary.

Vice President JD Vance flew to Budapest ahead of election day in an attempt to reverse his ailing ally’s poor poll ratings. Putin had also voiced support for Orbán, who has frequently stood as the lone dissenting voice among E.U. leaders in opposing sanctions on Russia and advocating for warmer relations with Moscow.

Orbán’s pitch to the electorate largely centered around Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine, singling out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for frequent attacks. In the run-up to the vote, Orbán accused Ukraine of sabotaging a key oil pipeline, while Hungarian authorities seized a shipment of cash from a Ukrainian bank.

Speaking to reporters before casting his own vote on Sunday, Orbán, 62, said the campaign had been “a great national moment on our side,” adding: “I’m here to win.”

But after a febrile campaign, with allegations of “false flag” operations, wiretapping and even an alleged sex tape plot, Magyar’s projected victory brings an end to the era of Orbán.