In April 2026, Viktor Orbán lost. After 16 years in power, Hungary’s nationalist strongman was crushed at the ballot box — 138 of 199 seats gone, nearly 80% voter turnout, the highest since Hungary became a democracy in 1990. Now the US midterms are due. Democrats lead in the polls. And everyone is asking the same question: can the same thing happen in America? In this episode of Over Here, Over There, we look at what Hungary’s election actually tells us — and what it doesn’t. Why the comparison with America is real but complicated. What Péter Magyar did right that others keep getting wrong. And why, from a German perspective, the lesson from Budapest goes deeper than any poll number. Because when people truly understand what they stand to lose, they show up. Eighty percent of them did in Hungary. 🎙️ Over Here, Over There — the transatlantic podcast comparing how the same world looks different from Europe and America.

Claudia Koestler is a Senior Editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany's largest quality newspaper, and is co-host of the 'Over Here, Over There' podcast.