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PODCAST · 23 APRIL 2026

2026 Hungary Elections: What Comes Next? Insights From A Former US Embassy Diplomat In Budapest (Podcast)

Péter Magyar's landslide victory over Viktor Orbán on April 12 marks a seismic shift in European politics, ending the reign of Europe's longest-serving head of state. This political upheaval carries significant implications for US policy toward Russia, Ukraine, and the European Union, as well as for American business interests in the region.

HungaryGovernment, Public Sector

On April 12, Péter Magyar defeated Viktor Orbán, the longest-serving head of state in Europe, in a stunning landslide upset. Magyar’s election has ramifications for US policy toward Russia, Ukraine and the EU.

In our latest episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, host Tom Firestone, head of our Government Investigations & White Collar Practice, is joined by David Kostelancik, a career US State Department diplomat and former chargé d'affaires at the US Embassy in Budapest, who discusses what changes we can expect in Hungary and what Magyar’s election means for US business.

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