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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Justin Spike and Petr David Josek

From chants on trams to a parliament rave, young Hungarians provided a soundtrack for Orbán’s defeat

Hungary Election - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Many of the young Hungarians who came of age during Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power have never known life outside his political system. Yet it was they that were at the forefront of Sunday's earthquake election that ejected him from office.

As hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate the historic win by pro-European candidate Péter Magyar, music from some of Hungary's most popular — and most Orbán-critical — performers filled the air. Teenagers scaled Budapest’s iconic Chain Bridge and blasted revolutionary anthems by artists whose songs captured young people’s frustrations with the regime.

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