I watched Hungary’s 16-year Viktor Orbán era crumble — BBC News

[0:00] we need to be outside with the crowd what did he just say or man it's the man himself on stage [0:07] i cried when i was putting the x on my vault katia adler the bbc's europe editor and i'm in [0:18] downtown budapest at a big concert called dismantle the system it's on the eve of really important [0:26] elections here everyone around here is excited they believe change is coming to this country [0:33] that for the first time in 16 years they could get a new prime minister how are you feeling [0:40] i'm really excited i think there's a big chance that we can change this system right now and i can [0:47] really feel that it's it's changing and every can everyone can feel it most of the concert goers here [0:52] are part of what's known in hungary as generation orban so youngsters that have pretty much grown up [0:59] during victor orban 16 years as prime minister as their country has become one of europe's most [1:06] corrupt and most illiberal and what these first-time voters are doing here tonight is dancing chanting [1:14] singing and shouting for change victor orban is a conservative christian nationalist anti-immigration [1:20] and euro skeptic politician who's been prime minister in hungary for 16 years peter magia is also a [1:27] conservative nationalist originally from victor orban's party but now he's promising a fresh start [1:33] for hungary more open-minded closer to europe less cozy with russia so why is there all this [1:42] international attention on hungary's election this is a tiny country it's got a population about the same [1:48] size as belgians and yet we're here reporting so much international media here's reporting and a lot of that [1:56] has to do with backers of victor orban for example donald trump he has endorsed victor orban so many [2:04] times his vice president jd vance despite the war that was still raging in iran was here just a few [2:10] days ago to support hungary's prime minister they like many others across the world see victor orban as [2:17] kind of a father of the nationalist christian anti-woke right people who hate its christian heritage [2:25] they hate one man above all others and his name is victor orban and if they hate him it means he's [2:31] on your side tell you i'm a big fan of victor i'm with him all the way the united states is with him all [2:36] the way and then there's vladimir putin of russia victor orban has been so very useful to him a kind of [2:45] pro-russian voice inside the european union delaying sanctions against russia after its full-scale [2:52] invasion of ukraine and also blocking as it is right now loans to ukraine that kiev said it desperately [2:59] needs to survive we are fast approaching fellshut that's victor orban's home village yeah that's victor [3:16] orban's family home he's always liked to present himself as a man of the people of humble origins [3:23] but just take a look across the road as this country has gradually got poorer over the last [3:30] years victor orban's friends and family seem to have got richer orban had this football stadium built [3:37] here in his village and his father's nearby estate is said to have cost 30 million us dollars that's 22 [3:44] million pounds so will locals still vote for him excuse me see ya from the bbc can i ask you about [3:53] the election one question one question maybe i don't know what you want from the election on sunday [4:00] okay okay so we've tried we have tried we have tried to talk to a lot of people [4:18] and we have met people here who say they will vote for victor orban's party in the election but [4:25] it's very camera shy here what can i say so from there from the bbc can i ask one question [4:33] we just want we're asking people what do you want from the vote on sunday who should win [4:39] it's the eve of the election and preparations are underway for victor orban's last rally we're in the [5:00] gorgeous castle district of budapest and supporters must be getting worried because polls are against [5:07] them so somewhere in this crowd i have to find my colleagues because i've got to do a live on bbc [5:14] news and um we're a little late i'm joined by our europe editor europe editor katya adler to discuss [5:22] this all in a bit of detail so katya great to talk to you so first of all uh we're in the final stretch [5:28] here now both the party leaders are holding their final [5:31] so that's it the very last rally for victor orban before this nail biter of an election [5:56] and i can't help thinking looking around here that it could have been a bit fuller [6:02] it is election day we've jumped in a taxi and we're going to go to a few polling stations in [6:09] and around budapest i do believe we need some change that's my stance i'm 88 years old i've [6:15] lived through war i want victor orban to stay i just want a safe future for my family yes we want to stay [6:23] with the european union and with orban victor we almost out so the polls have closed and we are on [6:33] our way to the opposition leaders headquarters where huge crowds have been gathering it's too [6:39] early to say who has won this election you have preliminary results coming out but this is an [6:46] election on a knife edge and hungarians are holding their breath there's so much anticipation now around [6:54] the headquarters of the main opposition party that were tipped in the polls to win so roads are being [7:01] closed um these are the last cars that allow down here we're walking [7:10] you can hear cheers coming from streets all around we thought we had ages till results [7:16] would be announced but suddenly orban speaking live when now all right this whole package is going [7:25] to change basically oh oh no wait wait wait wait can i get this to you please [7:33] outside we need to be outside we need to be outside with the crowd what did he just say orban [7:40] magia are absolutely ecstatic here outside his headquarters they think it's a historic moment [8:11] for their country and actually in the end victor orban was extremely quick do you think your country's [8:24] about to change yes for the better yes i cried when i was putting the x on my vote i was i i was tearing [8:32] up i was crying it was wonderful i've seen you smiling and smiling and smiling it is it's a historic [8:40] moment so we've been waiting for this for several years and it's it's here and you can feel it with [8:45] the crowds the people and everyone it's just like it's a moment of like truth of transparency and of change [8:51] we then quickly had to dash back inside to re-cut our news report before being live on the evening news [8:58] we're all together has been ousted from government despite changing election regulations here to [9:08] favor his party i'm now joined by the bbc's europe editor katia adler supporters of peyton magia the [9:16] presumed new prime minister of hungary who had just been speaking [9:19] in his victory speech tonight peyton magia the man 99.9 percent sure is going to be hungary's next [9:31] prime minister said he wants to return decency to his country that's the hungarian parliament just over [9:38] there just like that 16 years of what victor orban himself called his in liberal democracy is over [9:47] and hungary's preparing for a brand new start messages and congratulations have been calling [9:54] in from all over europe tonight from the uk from a very relieved ukrainian president chancellor mounts [10:01] of germany said this is the victory for european unity they don't know peyton magia yet and yes he [10:08] is a conservative formerly from victor orban's own party but he's promised to break with the past [10:15] newton ties with russia build bridges with europe and most importantly for hungarians end corruption [10:22] and heal their staggering economy improve their standards of living they say it's a brand new dawn