The June 9 European Parliament election in Hungary marked the first such contest since the United Kingdom left the European Union. Voters cast two separate ballots on the same day—one for the European Parliament and one for local government positions.
This dual voting structure complicates the interpretation of the Fidesz–KDNP alliance’s victory, as local factors such as municipal services, school closures, and hospital funding influenced voter decisions alongside European issues. Hungary will now send 21 members to the European Parliament, a body that has shrunk to 705 seats following the UK’s departure. The removal of British representatives has altered the chamber’s balance.
The center-right European People’s Party lost its British Conservatives, while the centrist Renew Europe group lost its British Liberal Democrats. The far-right Identity and Democracy group experienced no change, as the UK had no far-right MEPs.
Each national delegation now holds a slightly larger share of the total seats, rewarding disciplined and well-organized campaigns. Fidesz–KDNP currently holds no formal affiliation with any European party group. The alliance left the European People’s Party in 2021 amid tensions over rule-of-law issues, and its MEPs now sit as non-attached members. This status limits their influence over committee chairs, rapporteurships, and the legislative agenda.
To shape policies on migration, cohesion funds, or agricultural policy, the Hungarian delegation must negotiate entry into an existing group or form a new one. The simultaneous local elections add a domestic dimension to the outcome.
Control over Hungary’s cities and counties for the next five years hinges on those results, which often turn on local concerns rather than European politics. The correlation between the European and local votes will indicate whether the Fidesz brand remains strong at the grassroots level or shows signs of weakness. Brussels is closely monitoring the situation.
The European Commission has frozen billions of euros in EU funds to Hungary due to concerns about judicial independence, media freedom, and anti-corruption measures. A decisive electoral win provides Prime Minister Viktor Orbán with a domestic mandate to resist those conditions.
It also presents the Commission with a difficult choice: confront a leader who has just won a nationwide vote or seek a compromise. Without the UK as a counterweight, Hungary’s relative weight in the Council has increased, sharpening this calculation. The post-Brexit environment means that a party winning 10 percent of the Hungarian vote now receives a larger share of a smaller Parliament.
The path forward involves coalition-building. The Hungarian delegation requires allies, local governments need budgets, and the Commission must decide whether to release frozen funds or maintain its stance.
All of these developments trace back to the votes cast on June 9.
