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Murphy tells US, world progressives to take ‘lessons’ from Hungary elections

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by Sophie Brams - 04/18/26 5:58 PM ET

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by Sophie Brams - 04/18/26 5:58 PM ET

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Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Saturday urged progressives in the U.S. and around the world to “learn from each other”, saying the defeat of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Hungary can offer a roadmap for rebuilding democracy.

Murphy told the crowd at the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilization conference in Barcelona that the U.S. faced “the most significant threat” to democratic institutions since the Civil War, and Americans were “watching the courage of the defenders of democracy” in Hungary and other parts of Europe.

“That victory in Hungary just a week ago, it lifted our sails in the United States of America,” he said. “So, I want us to make sure one more time that we give a hearty, loud thanks to the people of Hungary for saving their democracy and perhaps helping to save ours.”

The Connecticut Democrat, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, painted the picture of an America “in crisis,” likening President Trump’s actions to a “totalitarian takeover.”

“He is trying to seize control of our courts, of our law enforcement, of our media, of our elections. His goal is oligarchic capture,” Murphy said, describing the current White House as “the most corrupt” in the nation’s history.

He called on progressives to unite to counter right-wing populism across the globe, pointing to AfD party in Germany, far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen in France, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Orbán and Trump.

“They learn from each other. They copy one another’s tactics of democratic destruction, and they count on us to be divided, to argue over purity tests while they dismantle our freedom,” he said. “But to beat them, we must learn from each other too.”

Murphy also pushed for corporate power to be broken up and to “confront the cult of corruption” worldwide, which he argued is harming working-class people.

“This cult of corruption exists in America, but in every other corner of this world,” he said.

“This is the lesson from Hungary. The Hungarians refused to bend to the cult of corruption. They demanded a higher standard from their public sector leaders,” he added.

Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar and his center-right Tisza party notched a landslide victory in Sunday’s election, winning a two-thirds parliamentary majority and ending Orbán’s 16-year reign.

The Associated Press reported that Magyar made his first appearance on Hungary’s public broadcaster in nearly two years on Wednesday morning and announced the government would suspend the service’s news programming until “conditions are established that are independent, objective, and impartial.”

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