“After an overwhelming victory, he may be able to deliver on it. His party won the critical supermajority required to amend the constitution and dismantle Viktor Orbán’s vice-like grip on the judiciary, state institutions and the media.”

“The Dictator, as ex-EU Commission President Jean Claude Juncker famously dubbed him, conceded early in a phone call to his rival.”

“Hungarians have been living for 16 years under what has been termed Orbánomics, or a self-styled 'illiberal' economic model which concentrates power, erodes independent institutions and preserves the spoils of public spending for a favoured oligarchic elite in a gluttonous buffet of corruption.”

“GDP per capita has remained flat since 2020, a miserable performance compared with regional economic success stories such as those of Poland and Romania.”

“Prices in Hungary have risen by 57% since 2020, the highest of any EU member state, and nearly double the bloc’s average.”

“He has pledged to restore co-operation with the EU, not least to secure €18-billion in EU funds that Brussels had frozen over rule of law concerns, and allowing the EU to proceed with a long-awaited €90-billion loan to Ukraine.”

“Italian prime minister and Maga darling Giorgia Meloni suffered a bruising defeat in a referendum on judicial reform last month, triggering resignations and a vote of confidence.”